War Horizon city of Jewel
by flaming hunter
Summary: Two world have met now they must learn to live and deal with each other
1. Chapter 1

Fire rained down from the sky, as massive meteors were summoned each impact brought down hored after hored of demonic invaders.

Blood thirsters in their deranged madness swatted away knights of men and elf alike, with an effort akin to that of children throwing their toys in a temper tantrum.

Men-women-children all flee to the nearby caves in an attempt to write out the fighting, yet it is within this very caves that an ancient gate long forgotten awaits its call.

Desperate for any form of safety, the people fail to see that one of their smallest separated from their side and to his young eyes a blue glow is met. He hesitantly raises his finger and touches the worldly glow, within seconds a light erupts to the sky.

Times long gone meet with the present and times yet to come turn to the past.

Sadly this act has caught the demon's attention and they begin to flood the caves, however the moment the unworldly lights vanish warriors not seen before emerge from the gate.

A cat man dressed like a noble-a small assassin-a large night-a mage ofelven\human descent, as the boy gazes at them with eyes filled with admiration, the screams of the dying catch the warriors attention.

Seconds later knight-beast men and constructs alike pour thru the gate, all armed and ready for battle.

Gods long forgotten connect to those once unknown and two world must now learn to live with each other, for in these dark times there is only war.

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Shiroe was rubbing his eyes, stacks of paper stood at either side of his desk. Several weeks ago an old teleportation ring was discovered in one of the ruined buildings, it didn't have any designs or shape similar to the old Elder Tales game.

No from what he and hi fellow senior players could tell, it was part of an old attempt to join an online game to game server, but things went downhill and the project didn't ever took of.  
No one gave it any real thought however, a few days ago a blue beam shot up straight up into the sky and ripple across. It was like seeing water ripple across a lake, with a single drop waiting to the last second and striking it.

Instantly scouts were sent thru to see what was going on and as luck would have it, it was up to him and by extent his guild Log Horizon.

At first it seemed that they had emerged into an empty cave, then the screaming began. However the teleporter could be used by both N.P.C's and adventures alike, so the moment of the screaming reached them, was the moment they sent out the call for help.

Within moments the guilds of Akihabara moved in to secure the area, it was a good thing too. For the sheer numbers of the enemies, combined with the skills and their elite troops would have overwhelmed them entirely.

The enemy could only be called demons, no that's what they were. Creatures of rage- madness and hatred.

The battle was fierce and unrelenting, they had to rescue the surviving people while at the same time fighting off the demons. Each time the Adventurers died, they would come back to life near the portal that had brought them there.

Now the people they rescued had returned to the village they had fled when the monsters attacked.

The problem was that the entire place was in ruins and whether they liked it or not the adventurers couldn't just leave them in that place. So those that had some free time, they would help the people rebuild anything they could.

During this time three things were discovered, one the people of this new world didn't vanish like their counterparts from the world of Elder Tales. The second the food in this new world was filled with flavor tho it was still lacking, when compared to the ones from earth , it was not completely without flavor.

Specialist cooking skills werent needed for them to actually taste their meals, unlike the world of elder tales that the cooking skill or a cooking apron a special equip item were desperately needed.

The third and final piece of information was that apparently like the world of elder tales this world also had several different species living in it.

''So now we come to this'' shiroe thought to himself, as he looked at the pile of paperwork around him.

Everything from clean drinking water-meats-vegetables-salts-sugars-metals and even material going thru and coming from the portal was being carefully recorded.

It wasn't known to the public but the remnants of a war was found near the cave, well near for an adventurer a heavy distance for a regular person. The dead bodies of several knights both humans and elf, some small people with powerful bodies and even some beast men.

In reality they could have just left things as they were, they could have left the N.P.C's alone and blocked of the entrance to the portal. But the problem was just that they couldn't do that.

There was no way of knowing how many portals they were that connected to this world and it was known to the senior players that there had been several world\games, so it was an absolutely important that they secured any portal that lead to their new home world.

The people used a combination of oil lamps and a form of magical stones to light up the streets, the housed were kept worm by fireplaces. Their main food supplies were live stock and any agriculture they could manage.

Near by stream of fresh water provided drinking water and for rest rooms the people used outhouses that were nothing more than holes in the ground that were later filled when they were full.

The world held no signs of a lost time and in fact it seemed as if it was barely rising from medieval times.

Unlike the world of elder tales that had the remnants of modern day all over, cars-buildings-televisions-radios-holograms-rifles and other lost materials from the lost time.

Elder tales was a game that took place after the end of a great disaster that had brought humanity to the point of near extinction.

To push back the darkness the people created the beast men, people that gave up their human forms taking in animal forms effectively adding their skills and abilities thereby creating a much stronger fighting force.

Tho the elves-dwarfs-humans and the newly created beast men pushed the monsters back they were nearly wiped out and soon were again in the losing side. So they performed a ritual and summoned heroes, this was the original elder tales game.

One day however the new expansion package was realised and somehow someway all of the people playing the game at the time somehow woke up as their game characters. They all still had their same faces, but they were now in different bodies.

Children woke up in the bodies of adults, adults in the bodies of children, mean as women and women as men. Toes that had it where were the beast men as they had lost their human forms and were now in beast human form. They still had hands and feet walked in two legs wore clothes and everything but, with animal features.

It got a little being used to but they made it work.

Now another curve ball was thrown at them, there was no knowing whether there were other players in this world that was recently discovered.

So to keep the portal the adventures [the players] that had the know how created a metal box that had both magic and technological security defenses.

The issue grew when the adventurers saw the state of the town the people lived in, so they offered to help, the city of Akihabara was now comtherable to live in, even tho there were still plenty fallen buildings, many of them were either being rebuilt or brought down do they could be secured.

So as they walked into the village and began to help them rebuild, this new world was primitive but strong. So as the adventures past time in that world they began to take their own materials, food weapons and skills.

Blacksmiths learned of new designs and half strong designs of strong walls to secure the outside of the village.

So several things happened in the time span of only a few weeks, blacksmiths began to build a type of rail, they would build a train that would lead to the caves that held the portal. Trade had already started, the round table the center of the Akihabara's political power had made damn sure not to allow any adventurer to take technology that was to advanced for this new world.

Cooks that saw opportunities went into the new world and had begun to secure their own loyal customers. Healers were called in to see to any disease or mild sickness the people might have needed attending to.

The people had been working with them to create a sewer system, with them restrooms were being designed and being built.

Already the people were beginning to see the leaders of the round table as nobles as when any of them went to see how things were going the guild and a debentures showed a form of respect to them.

People would open the roads or would bow their heads in shows of respect to them.

None of this would have been any real problem and they would have begun to explore the new world however when a group of merchants arrived to the village they began to trade with the people and after they left more and more began to show, it was no secret that they must have spread the word.

The issue was that some people didn't want to leave and began to settle down on the outside of the village wall, the farmers were the ones that had the land that was used for the crops and more often than not theadventures had to stop fighting between the people as the farmers defended their lands.

There were hardly enough animals so the animals from their side of the portal needed to be hunted for meat, that the adventurer traded with the people in the new world.

Shiroe could already see a pattern forming, there was a place that was safe, a place with plenty of food water and a security force that was effective.

Word was getting around and they were bringing unnecessary attention to themselves, the village didn't belong to them, but already the villagers were treating the adventures as if it was their property.

For several days Shiroe was covered in paperwork as he had been forced to take action in the acquiring of multiple materials that would be needed.

This situation spoke wonders as the other guilds were in the same situation, they had to secure their area and the village in the other world. This wasn't a situation that could just be left alone and it was getting worse, work had been given to the people in the construction of the railroad, building of streets and houses.

The village grew away from the farming lands and the construction of a new set of walls was already being started, but it washappening to quickly and something would soon go wrong. There was no if, a growing town meant people and people meant growing unrest.

Thieves-rapist-slave trader and monster attacks were being taken into accounts and preparations were being taken.

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The sounds of the clucking sounds of the horses walking as they dragged the carriage filled with good of all kinds. What was left of them anyway, they had left their home and their old friends behind.

His and his family's feet hurt and the little ones rode on the carriages, life was hard but liveable but then things started to change.

The constant attacks from the green skins and the strange plagues that came back and forth during the time the seasons changed. He and his family weren't the only ones leaving, slowly they were joined by more and more people and in that form they joined up with several other people that were in the same situation as them.

The sun was hot and it bore down on them its intense heat, still they couldn't stop, stopping meant staying in an open area and that meant they were easy prey.

Tho they didn't know their destination at least at first they encountered another cariban, this one was made of merchants. They told them about a village that was growing, it had beast men and some mages, so if they could stomach living around them then they could rest there.

It took five days to even see the smallest glimpse of the village, look to the light at the distance the merchants said.

It was like seeing starts on the land.

The group had no choice but to encourage each other to keep walking, the hot sun that made the walking unbearable, the water was hot and it was difficult to keep the food without spoiling. The cold nights were nearly freezing and the blankets that were meant to be sold were now trained with the people for either clothing or food.

The dogs horses and few strong boy and men, would go back and forth making sure that no opportunist would take advantage of the people's exhaustion. Already there were animals and some slaves hunted down before they could move.

His dried lips from the lack of water and his tired feet were met with the sight of green grass, fields full of crops animals being watched by shepherds. His stomach growled just by seeing them, but still he soldiered on.

The smell of water and the taste of the cool wind that came with it made his senses scram with relief.

He turned to see his wife and children and noticed that from the corner of his eyes that his fellow travelers were reacting the same way. The houses with their riders went up ahead in pairs to greet the village guard, to inform them that the people were coming.

The city walls were to low for any real defence and there was a strange shape to it, it seemed as if it was moving away from the river, as opposed to growing around it like it should have. Then it hit him as they slowly moved forward, the wall wasn't the main city wall in fact it was one that was slowly growing because there were already people settling down outside the village.

From the looks of it the people of the villageweren't very welcoming.

However a group of young boys and girls walked up to them accompanying the men that went up ahead.

A small redhead with long red hair, she dressed like a village girl from a humble up bringing however, the staff she held was that of a druid. She smiles at them warmly and as she looked at them she began to look at the people and noticed that one of the horses had a large cut on one of its legs.

The moment the small red head touched it, a green glow showed from her and and instantly healed it.

Instantly one of the men moved in toseparate the small witch from the animal, hoping to spare the creature from any curse the witch might inflict on it.

However the moment he placed his hands on the girl a boy dressed in grey armor similar to that of a knight caught her before she hit the ground.

He saw that several of the stronger men of the group rush in but stopped for some reason, only to immediately fall to the ground. Behind them was a small girl dressed in tight revealing clothes, her eyes were cold and uncaring.

One word reached his lips. ''Assassin''

''If you wish to be able to rest here, you will be advised not to start any trouble.'' a girl wearing a white dress of unknown design, that made her look as a priestess.

Her eyes were firm but kind. ''I understand that you are tired and hungry, but if you try anything again'' she said as a set of wards began to glow all around her.

A boy with blond hair, holding a wizard staff dressed as if he was taught several different kinds of spells based on the gear he was wearing.

''Those of you that need medical attention or are sic. Please come this way and those of you that want to find a place where you can settle down, you can follow my friends over there.'' the young man spoke similar to a noble.

He just stood there the only thing that he could do was stand there as he remembered the warning from the merchants. ''There are mages and beast men there''

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A small patch about the size of three wagons was given to each of the people, the children were kept near. As the man kept an eye on what remained on his goods, he began to see what had spoiled and what was still sellable.

Near the area where he was now settling down was a large hole was being filled with various different kinds of smooth stones. Men and boys worked under the hot sun, from the hole eight paths stretched from it, tho they were all still being dug, the sheer deepness of them all made a full grown man be covered up to his waist.

Small children would run up and down the paths, tho some of the workers did in fact become angered by the children's actions, many of them saw their acts as just that children playing.

The hot sun was the very reason why he chose to soldier on and leave his old home, though the plagues did infact have a piece in his decision, it was the growing drought that made him leave before the situation became to unbearable to live in.

The singing of a young girl reached his ears, her voice was sweet yet kind and somehow appeared to ease the people's exhaustion. She had long brown hair a green cloak and a lute that she used to play her melony.

He could feel the thick sweat roll down his forehead, as his clothes became tight with the sweat that now drenched them.  
1  
In Akihabara the round table was having a deep meaning its meaning was just as important to the one they had when they had first formed this united force between the strongest guilds.

''We managed to settle the food and material problems for now. I'm afraid that if people keep arriving we will soon be exhausting our own'' Shiroe informed the rest of the group.

''We need to get the people on the other side to begin to pick up their own weight'' Krusty the guild leader of D.D.D, one of the combat guild added in.

''The good thing is we are already to begin to prepare the water system. There is a river nearby, but we don't know how many people downstream depend on it and messing with it could and would cause our own problems to increase.'' Seta Soujiro, leader of the west wind brigade.

''There is also the issue with both our people and the people on the other side. The smaller guilds will soon start getting too big for themselves and won't want to listen to us.  
The same could be said about the people, if the place keeps growing crime will soon begin'' Isaak, the leader of the Black sword guild added in.

''Then the situation is simple we all take turns going in and out of both towns, soon the train leading to the portal should be under construction.  
So all we have to do is get the people to start working in several different kinds of things, we don't have any guarantee that the portal will stay open and the boy we found only did he just touched it.'' Rodrick, leader of the Rodrick said as he tried to calmed down the mood.

''True but we should all be present for the test run of the water system, even if we still don't have the waterways filled with concrete or some kind of stone just seeing if the paths maintain themselves would help.

Plus it would be a good idea for us to see the people and get a better grasp on things'' Shiroe, leader of Log Horizon guild finished as he got of his seat.

''Well time to go see the new world and with any luck we might just be able to leave it alone'' Krusty said as he began to walk out of the building.

1  
Something was happening the workers were ordered out of the paths they were digging in, more and more soldiers and beast men were gathering around the hole inthe ground, that was filled with the smooth stones.

His curiosity wasn't unique to him, as several people were staring and some even began to gather around the warriors. Mages in their various cloths and magic staffs-men and woman dressed in overly revealing clothes stood ready as if awaiting an order.

Soon the sounds of whispering and brief gasps caught his attention.

What his eyes met soon made his heart race both in fear and of respect. Knights and warriors along with mages walked in, unlike those from before their eyes held a posisi of experience and their presence was of sheer power.

Without words ar any form of a sign, the mages cast spells that made water rush up into the sky, while at the same time remain in the hole with the smooth stones.

The warriors and some of the healers casted a mixture of cold spells and froze more and more of the water, they did this for five times and for five times the water washed away the dirt and mood from the paths that had already been dug in.  
As the spells came to an end, the light of sworlding colors could be seen from a distance. As the light of the sun hit the massive tower of ice.

Soon as the town and the people began to settle in and a form of tranquility began to settle in, merchants and those that simply sought shelter began to spread the word about the slowly growing town.

The lights of colors in the sky, combined with the lights that made the town seem as it was covered in stars at night. That even as it was barely growing and its youth the people began to call it the Jewel.

The man himself didn't know this in fact he was only aware that the area around him had drastically cooled down. Already children were jumping into the water trying to cool off, only to run back out saying how cold the water was.

Still the man couldn't help but feel as if he was in the presence of a powerful beast, one that could tear him apart. But that was the thing this wasn't just one beast, there were several, people were already bowing their heads to these people and whoever they were they were more than dangerous, that alone was dangerous.

Then a chill ran down his spine and his eyes met with those of a man with short blue hair, a long white sage's cloak and a large staff. He was more then obviously a mage, he wore a brown shirt with green pants and a pair of boots that were slightly darker brown.

This man's eyes, made the man feel as if he was being seen straight to his very soul, however there was something about the mage's eyes. No the they weren't directed towards him, no they were directed to a bird straight behind him.

It was as if the animal had noticed this as well and had immediately taken of into the air.

A swords man walked up to the mage and they exchanged words the man couldn't understand what they said to each other but there was definitely something going on.

Still time would go on as smoothly as possible and the man soon found himself being able to trade, his cloth for other materials. Work was found by several of the men collecting stones and digging the paths that would soon be the new roads, they were in turn filled in with the stones and patted into each other.

Several of the warriors would often watch from above a carriage and if something was of they would go down and even even out the path.

The homes for the people were being built by the people themselves, they all were told to help each other out, food-water and anything they might have needed was found by the people who were working together.  
This arrangement worked only because the warriors could be seen walking all around them and anyone was injured or fell sic they would heal them in an instant.

Several times the warriors themselves helped build the homes-roads-restrooms-kitchens and some of the furniture. The fact that the people were working together was the sole reason the work was going by so quickly.

If an issue happened then one simply had to speak to one of the warriors.  
The city walls were growing and were soon nearing completion, yet no one could or would believe the speed the word of the town's existence was spreading.

The lights in the sky that made a swirling rainbow made several people seek just what was causing it, others heard of a town away from any of the human controlled territories was not only surviving but flourishing.

Still others seeking to see if the stories of beast men, elves and dwarfs that lived with the people and treated them as equals was real.

All that saw the town or simply walked into it and left called it the same thing, the town was a growing Jewel and not everyone that heard of it had good intentions in their minds

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The town had changed much since the adventurers had arrived and if anyone were to ask the people that lived in it a long before the new arrivals had come, they would tell you of a different time.

Long gone were the dirt roads that had the fifth of the excrement from the chamber pots emptied by the people, the out houses that were a luxury were now replaced by what was now known as public restrooms.

The roads were cleaned up by the people themselves and the adventurers brought in strange stones. Together they began to dig into the ground and they began to place the stones making the streets into a beautiful white stone floor.

The interior of the protective walls were rebuilt using the storage rectangular stone [Bricks] and several of the adventurers began to draw a portrait on it. It was not but a woman with wings her hands placed together as if she was in prayer.

The ruined homes were remodeled and repaired, the people exchanged meet, for the strange stone in order to help them rebuild their homes.

Unbeknownst to the people, the leader of the town had made a deal with the adventurers.

Keep an eye on things, both the people and any materials that are brought in or go out.

The adventurers had no real way ofmonitoring the town and the townspeople were at the adventurers mercy. They looked human but no human could fight demons to a standstill on a one on one fight.

The people soon lost their fear of the adventurers and with the arrival and growth of the town along with the growing wealth and beauty. Made the people more than willing to listen to the adventurers.

At the center of the town there was a small fountain one that was in a near perfect circle and after the tower of ice was created, the adventurers all gathers around it.

Ten heads stood and awaited any problems or issues the people might want to say to them. Anyone with half a brain could see that these were the true power behind the adventurers, or at least the ones no one would dare to go against.

Tho few people did voice some concerns and even went as far as to ask for somethings, yet for the townspeople many of them saw this as, the adventurers displaying their position of power.

If one were to put it into words, it would be. We are still in control, we are the ones you don't anger.

Still the people did as they were asked and even tho the people were still arriving, they had begun to notice a certain amount of things.

For example the common whore that one usually saw in the streets or a brothel had some extremely fit and well endowed woman.

Some of the new workers that had arrived, along with some of the merchants or people that sought to build a better life, there were people with a matching necklace or a specific ring.

Also there was a rumor going around, shadows that move where there is no light and woman asking certain questions when they are in bed. Some of the merchants were now beginning to grow bolder, for example drawings of the adventurers and what they were capable of.

What skills they had and so one. Normallythis would have stayed hidden and no one would have known about it, but there was adebt the people had with the adventurers.

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Times were changing and even tho he and his family were new to the area they already felt as if they belonged there. They had been present when the walls were being built around the inner town and seeing just how quickly the land changed under the guards watch.

There was little doubt amongst the people that the guard was blessed or had of some form of holy influence.

He young men that went to work out on the fields, in the construction of a metal road, spoke of the strength of some of the guards displayed. Wheels with spikes [gears] that when they were connected with each other and placed a several other metal pieces of steel and other wheels with spikes they made things move.

Merchants came in and went allowed trade to grow amongst the people, while those that could sought to learn the skills of the farmers that would take them under their care. Others would seek out the workstations of some of the adventurers and try to learn their secrets.

Unlike several of the towns-villages or even some main kingdoms, this town had a unique nature to it. THere were various people and creatures living here now and they all got along, granted the occasional pickpocket or miscreant would cause trouble but the guard usually took care of them.

Punishment was carried out in simple forms, if the crime was high the person in question would be made to go out and help map out the surrounding area.

There was no mystery that they lived away from all other kingdoms, so those maps were essential, yet simply making them was a dangerous task.

Villages and other small towns only gathered because no rain had com and so they sought refuge in this ever growing Jewel.

If the crime had been low, then that person would be made to clean the poop that the animals dropped on the streets for the entire day and night. Many thought that this was a cruel punishment considering that once a small part was clean, an animal would walk over it and it would spread the thith it had on its hooves.

But that was the point, after a day with no advancing people thought twice about doing the thing they did. Either that or they thought of ways not to be caught again.

Slowly people were arriving more and more, life was hard and many chose to take the challenge of living so far away fromthe kingdoms, simply because it was on the outskirts where the land was mostly fertile and food could be grown.

Most of the monsters left the small towns alone be cause they weren't a threat, but now the Jew was growing more and more beautiful and the man knew that it would only be a matter of time before they attracted the attention of an undesirable being.

The sounds of gossip combined with those of children or was it the vigorous voices of youth caught his attention. As he turned to look he saw the group of young people that had greeted him-his family and the people with them when they arrived.

The swordsman-the druid-the magician-the mage and with them was the young girl he had seen singing on several occasion.

As they walked passed some of the merchants, many of which bowed their heads in a form of respect and greeting, other said in a more enthusiastic voice as just to how great their vegetables or clothing was. The group of young adventurers simply waved at them and ket moving on.

As they moved about the crowd many of the people would either move out of their way allowing them to pass, while others simply chose to ignore them. The man couldn't help but note their strange clothing.

While true that by physical appearances only the swordsman and the mage seemed to have any real form of familial resemblance, that immediately made people note that they were in fact siblings, the others however did not.

Different hair colors, skin color and even i their forms of speaking was not unique but different from each one of them.

As he watched them walk by the people he noted that they stopped and looked at te work some of the men were doing in the water ways. After a brief chat with some of them they cheerfully turned and walked away.

The waterways were changing, they didn't stay as dirt paths that made way for the water to pass thru, no the workers used the smooth stone to block the water from going into one of the paths and immediately after the water was gone, smooth stones were used to line up the walls of the path.

One by one the paths were being completed and when they were finished, the water went thru them and it seemed like it would sparkle. It was clear water and with the stones it seemed as though it somehow glowed a light blue.

Still the sight of the young people wasn't an unusual sight, no it was the children in strange outfits, that could be seen walking around from time to time.

It was when the merchants gathered and talked about various things that it became known that the sight of the children or the adult adventurers was not a rare sight. No most people simply couldn't see them sometimes, as they seemed to simply blend in.

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The sounds of hooves moving about the now dried dirt, several knight their armors glimmering as the light of the sun was reflected on the. The words that they heard still rang within their minds yet, they themselves could only fight thru the harshness of the world around the.

''It is a town that is growing amongst the cursed lands away from the empire's rule.''

''Men-women-children, walk amongst the twisted forms of the beast men.  
Mages and builders joined together, those that wish to learn join together and are teaching the people their ways.

Forges of steel-wood and stone have taken parentheses and are creating wonders, those that have one under the builders wings are creating trinkets that move about on their own.

It is said amongst the merchants, that the sky swirls with colors filled with life and at night the town seemed as if the stars themselves had descended to it.

There are warriors there Dwarfs and elven alike, if there are nobles which they seem they are. They treat the people as their equals''

Those words were said to the king and in a show of curiosity and strength he had dispatched them to see if this story was true.

All over the sighs of a deep drought was ever present, entire villages abandoned and the skeletal remnants of animals that had died from starvation and hunger were everywhere. Yet as they ventured deeper the signs of life were getting scarcer but at the same time growing in number.

A beaten path showed the way t go, along it were the remnants of abandoned carriages filled with the last of those people's worldly possessions.

Yet as they looked to the sky, they saw a swirling light of colors in the sky and in the uncaring nights they saw the stars at the distance.

It was like if hope was ever present there, as the heat only grew the taste of cool air was like a gift from sigmar himself.

Then they saw it, green fields replaced the dead lands, cool air took away the dried winds and the sounds of children laughing greeted them, chasing away the choking silence of the world.

Woman went about taking water and bread to the men who were toiling away, while young boys could be seen swinging their sticks in union as they learned to use the sword. An army was forming right before their eyes.

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As theytook in the sights of the ever prosperous town of jewel, they noticed how some people didn't even acknowledge their presence. Normally this would be seen as an act of heavy disrespect, but these people new not about the empire or any of the kingdoms and so they had no reason to give or care about them.

A group of woman and young children ran up to them, their faces filled with smiles and their cheeks plump. No doubt the stories of the blessing to this jewel were shown to be present.

Buckets filled with water and even tho they didn't have any cups for them to drink, themen took the water with their hands and drank their fill. One by one the woman gavethe knights water to drink and the children gave the horses their fill.

It was like God's blessing the cool drink as it touched their lips and went down their throats.

One of the younger members of the order eager to be of use, was about to open his bag only for one of his fellows to stop him.

''Miss we have come to speak to the ruler of this town'' the knight leader said.

''Leader of the town I am afraid I don't know who that might be.'' the village woman answered him

''Like yourselves we've only recently arrived here, but if you must speak to someone of authority there are the adventurers they're the one that keep the peace here'' she said as she pointed at a group of children dressed in an odd mixture of clothing.

As he dismounted his horse and bowed his head to the the woman in a form of gratitude. He turned to look at the young boys and girls the woman had signaled to, as he was about to take his first steps towards them, he heard the laughter of children.

Normally this would have been filtered thru as just another sound of the town's own music, however it was the light noise that accompanied the laughter.

Metal, metal of reinforced boots-metal of steel hitting the hips-metal of reinforced armor moving rapidly as if someone was running.

He hesitated not by fear or un eez but out of curiosity.

Soon his eyes were met with the sight ofvarious children barely at the height of his wrist all covered in armors or strange clothing and with them men and woman human and not, but what caught his attentions wasn't the fact that the children were of elven-beast men and human descent, but the eez that they moved in their heavyclothing.

One of his subordinates handed him a piece of paper roode up and he began to move he now knew who to give the message to, or at least who could direct him towards the right direction.

His men followed as they began to to dismount their horses while leaving only a few behind to make sure no one stole them or that the animals simply wandered away.

One by one they met his steps and were met with a sight few could not appreciate. Two women made their way thru the crowed of people , the children ran back and forth and the woman's eyes were kept on all of them.

No there were more than two woman yet his eyes and that of several of his mes eyes were looked on the two alone one had long green hair-pich colored skin-a large set of breast and a thin figure. Yet it was her bright smile that brought in joy all around her and her gentle hazel eyes that drove him to her, however her ears, her ears were what made him stop.

She was an Elf.

Her long white robe-blue dress black tights and brown boots, signaled her position of someone high in position. Yet she was an elf and one that seemed to be surrounded with children.

''Could she be the mother of some of theEleven children'' he asked himself, but it was believed that the elves could barely have children at all.

The woman that accompanied her was certainly human but she was no less beautiful. Yet where the elven woman gave of the feeling of freedom and joy, this one gave the feeling of familiarity and self control.

She had a set of spectacles, long blond hair-a white blouse-a purple tight skirt and shirt the same color.

There was no doubt this woman was someone similar or was herself a professional for a cort.

''Excuse me but I'' he began to say as heapproached the pair of woman only for the crowed of people to suddenly become thicker as they began to move about more and more.

Looking closely, he noticed that the majority were men, all of which were either covered in dirt r in mood. The ones making the paths for the water no doubt.

When the cowed finally cleared he saw that the woman-the children and even the young boys and girls were gone. He had missed his chance and now had to find someone in a position of authority again.

''Excuse me, you don't seem to be from around here. May I help you'' he heard a man say.

As he turned to see who it was, he was met with cold calculating eyes, the like of which he had seen in few and rare military and political leaders. Each time he had seen those cold eyes, the person in question had already had more than a dozen ways to fight or manipulate the situation.

''Forgive me for not introducing myself my name is Shiroe. Can I help you''the man said.

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There was a silence for a brief instance, few people can comprehend just how much the two men were capable of gaining from each other in the brief instance they had met.

''Are you the one in charge of this town, if not would you be so kindly as to tell me where to find the one that is'' the night leader said

There was a brief pause as if the man in front of him was considering his question, or perhaps considering just weather he should give him the right answer.

''This town isn't ruled by one particular individual, so I'm afraid that you'll need to speak to everyone when they are together , if it's something extremely important'' the man answered him.

It made sense if this place was indeed a creation of mixed race then they all must have form of control here.

''However if you need something I could listen to your request right now'' the man named Shiroe finished answering him.

''I take it that you are one of the ones in charge of this town then'' he asked the Shiroe

''Yes'' Shiroe answered

''Is there a place we can have this conversation in private'' he asked Shiroe's

''I'm afraid that such places are extremely limited at the moment, but I know a place that no one will bother us or attempt to listen in. Follow me please'' Shiroe answered him, as he began to walk.

They moved in deeper into the town, the buildings weren't any different then throws he had seen before, however what caught his attention was how clean the streets were. No doubt some sort of sewer system had been put in place, so people didn't empty theirchamber pots into the streets.

There was a group of children some youths and even a few of the elderly watching a man in a white robe showing them how numbers worked.

Addition, subtraction and even some multiplication and division. That was something to be looked into, higher forms o learning was something the nobles kept to themselves, here it seemed anyone could simply join in. As a boy that had no shoes-shirt and only wore a torn cloth to cover his underside sat down.

Immediately the robed man walked up to him and threw his white robe on him, the boy looked perplexed, but some words from the man and the boy put the rob on.

As they continued to walk merchants began to loudly say how great their merchandise was, while others showed them their clothing -=-jewels-alcohol and so forth however when they saw the man that went ahead of them they immediately became quiet and humble.

This man was indeed someone of power, that was both feared and respected.

They stopped close to a large blue crystal tower, however as he and his men noted the cold air and the water that seemed to rushfrom it. They saw that it was a large pillar of ice, no doubt enchanted.

This was the source of the town's water supply.

''I will make this brief'' he began ''The empire is aware that it has no control or rule over the people and whatever else you have here, however we would like to secure a hold here if possible within the town as well.

As you know the area around here is between the many dangers and securing a stronghold and an early warning system has been difficult.

Res assure your people-the land andwhatever else that is yours won't be messed with'' he said to Shiroe.

To a lesser men he would have thought that the kind smile combined with the gentle look, Shiroe had were one of weakness and gullibility. However he didn't make captain for being so stupid as to belief surface appearances.

Those eyes had already asserted his and his men's strength and Shiroe was certain he could win if it came down to it. However those ears moved every time he said or utter one of the keen words he had chosen or at least when he chose his world wisely.

''I'm afraid I'll have to speak to my associates but I'm afraid that if you intent is to control this town or the area around it it will be difficult to accomplish'' shiroe answered him, the threat all to present.

''We meant no disrespect, we are aware of your people's capacities. Just looking at the people and how prosperous this place is is proof of that. Considering the dangers of these lands'' he answered , however his hand was already easing into his sword just incase.

''I see. We all heard the stories, some families can't even feed their children and some even sell them just to survive the droughts or the uncaring winter.  
Constant oger-cannibal and the occasional barbarian raid'' Shiroe answered as he turned to look at the blue tower of ice.  
''There is a stream that cuts thru these lands, however it itself is drying p so I'm afraid this tower won't hold up for long. May I ask you if that day were to ever happen what would happen to these people would the empire take them in, just as we would take you in if you were one of them'' shiroe asked the captain.

A morality test. Would you do the same for us as we would do for you?

''I'm afraid I do not hold such power but I have seen your people are quite capable, there is a place in the empire for them should that ever come to pass'' he answered, his voice held no signs of doubt

''I see….I'm afraid that we don't have any ins in this town and the only place we have open are in the taverns. For obvious reasons those places don't exist around here.

I still have plenty of work so feel free to move about the town'' shiroe said to them as he began to turn and walk away

''Waite, take this it is a message that we were entrusted to give you'' he told shiroe ''I canassure you that none of us have looked into it''

 **''** **I hereby declare that if you are good people and accept our offer as king, I present to you these men to help and aid you in the creation of a fighting force capable of helping defend the town of Jewel.**

 **Please take them as a sign of good will from the empire to the growing kingdom of Jewel. This is no ill intent or any form of display of power, we simply wish to show that we can achieve greater strength working together''**

Shiroe raised his an eyebrow another curve ball ''Enjoy the sights gentlemen.

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After leaving the knights behind to look at the town, with any luck hey would get the idea that there was nothing of any real value here and so they would report back to their higher ups just that.

He placed his hand near his right ear and began to speak ''Naotsugu, have any of you guys had any luck?''

''No unfortunately no man, I've talked to the others and none of them have found anything either. I'm afraid we're going to have to make more of those pillars'' Naotsugu answered Shiroe back.

''Thanks be careful out there'' Shiroe answered Naotsugu.

Telepathy an ability exclusive to adventurers, regardless of who they maybe. By placing your hands on the right side of your head and concentrating on anyone in your friends list. Unfortunately anyone that is not in your friends list is unreachable, normal people and some exclusive individuals are incapable of being reached by this skill.

For example if a person is a person of the land or and N.P.C native to the world they are unreachable by this power and adventurers that aren't in one's own friends list then they aren't reachable because you have no idea just who they are.

For this reason a friends list and invitation to be added to a friend list is needed for this.

Shiroe rubbed between his his eyes in frustration, [get involved to much and the people become overly dependent-do to little and people suffer-cause problem and eventually die.

If they act too quickly then situations like the town growing from a village to a town happens, now the kingdoms have more then likely gotten wind of their existence, the knights are proof of the. Hopefully no one considers them any real threat or with anything and the empire only wants to get the town so they can secure a hold out here,

If they act to slowly then the people begin to starve and they expose themselves to monster and raider attacks]

Shiroe felt a bump on his left leg when he looked down he noticed a woman was on her knees desperately trying to pick up some oranges she had been carrying.

He must have bumped into her when he was deep in thought, the woman's hands were erratic, as if something had terrified her.

As he began to fill her basket with each orange he noticed that some of the people were keeping their distance and others were even whispering to each other. ''Sorry I must have been to deep in thought'' Shiroe said to the woman.

She looked at him confused, her eyes held a lot of fear in them ''N...no my lord it was I, you didn't do anything wrong it was all my fault'' the woman said as she lowered her head.

''...i see, well then we both made a mistake'' Shire smiled at the woman, well carrion with your day. He said as he began to walk away from the woman.

[Do to much and the people begin to fear you, it seemed like there was no right answer and everything was a needed answer]

He began to walk past one of the makeshift hospitals\clinics, some men and woman were coming in and leaving. He didn't like to believe it but several healers-midwives and some people that knew and were willing to teach this things to other people, had all joined it, forcefully making it permanent.

Another building was being built, but that took time and there was only so many things that could be done at once.

The trade guilds of that the adventurers had had secured here were now being used by several of the merchants that came and went. So far potions-stones and some of the basic weapons were the main trade item going out and what was coming in was both spices and fruits.

[Somany issues and each one needed to be looked into incase it becomes unneeded or it becomes a liability. The trade guilds have people that talk too much and hold no loyalties to the people and much less the town]

He passed a group of woman that had a group of young girls and some men and boys with them. Brothels had opened up and with those brothels taverns that took advantage of the nearby traide. The woman's children would work in the taverns moving crates or filling bottles. That way gaining additional income.

Their mothers and some of their fathers were sex workers, but here it seemed like it was just another job.

His ears caught the sound of wings flapping and his eyes homed into a bird one of several that had been seen. It was because the birds all had stats of attack and defense, this meant that they were the familiar servant of someone.

Up until now any animal that didn't attack or had any intention of doing anything was just dismissed, they had the attack and defense bars but they were all in active. These birds however, all of them had the attack bars lightened up.

Someone or something was keeping eye on them from the distance. Killing the bird would only serve to alert them that they had been discovered and drive them deeper into hiding. No it was better to wait and let them make their move.

4  
On the other side of the portal a meeting between the Round table members and a representative of the people of the land was being held.

Princess Rayneshia held onto the sides of her dress as tightly as possible, only a few times had the Adventurers openly called for a meeting and each time it had to do with something extremely important and dangerous.

Requesting the barrier that protected their town in order to stop a serial killer or preparing for an act of war one that she asked them for.

''Well cut straight to the point, a few months ago a portal opened up in one of the old buildings. In reality we all had seen it and even some of the people of the land used to use it as target practice when they were children.

Throwing rocks at it, from what they tell us it never activated'' Eins said as he tried to make things clear to the princes

''Except that a few months ago it activated and released a huge amount of magic into the air.  
When we went to investigate, we were met with demons an armie of them  
As of right now we are securing the area around the portal and area helping the people on the other side'' Michitaka of the Oceanic Systems said to the  
princes

''I see, Silver sword had had the same issue, however that encountered a place completely frozen and the people there were how should we say it. Very militaristic.'' Regan the royal wizard\scholar added his own two cents.

''So what can you tell us?'' Michitaka asked regan.

''They came to the same conclusion you did, under no circumstances can these portals be taken lightly and any found need be taken as if an army of enemies was on the other side.'' Regan answered

''So how are things on the other side'' the princess asked

''So far we've helped the people and they ll seem to be prospering. '' Charasin of shopping district eight answered

''Very well I wish to see this town and only then can I make my full decision'' the princess said more out of curiosity than anything else.

''Prinses please reconsider, we can take me there, but one of the issues is what if the portal closes and if you're attacked.''

''I see, well I still need to inform my father of these events and seeing as all of you have this under control, I'll inform the people to report any portals or magical objects found.'' Princess Rayneshia said as she got up and began to walk away.

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3  
As the mage known as Shiroe left them to wander about, he felt an un ezz when the man read the letter. No doubt he and his men had been handed over to the town, it was a usual tactic, teach the people how to defend themselves and in turn gain the town loyalty.

It was a simple yet effective tactic, it was anything if not reckless, for the leaders of the towns could send hi and his men to their deaths and no harm would come of it

However the payoff was worth the risk. Now they had a chance of learning and getting a better understanding of the people and their defenders, along with that the skills and layout of the town and the surrounding area.

They began to move about and for the first time they began to truly take in the sights.

The town was nothing special, by all means it had its uniqueness for sure, but it wasn't anything to stop and wow over.

The first thing his men noticed, tho it shamed him for not picking it up. Was the fact that most small children and children along with youths, were all still close to their families.  
Normally in times like these, it was normal for parents to sell their children, in order for them to survive.

The family would have extra income and the child though their life would be harsh. They would at least survive.

As they continued to walk they began to see something that distinguished the adventurers from each other, though they all shared a uniqueness to themselves. Like all tiger faced ones had a marking on them or something similar, there was something more apparent then that hard to see one.

Capes, most adventurers wore capes that had a shield of arms unique to their group. A design that marked both adults and children to a respective house.

Those worn by the children were more colorful, almost as if saying that this child is not to be touched. Yet speaking of thechildren, they all seemed unusually fit for their age, even the plumped ones seemed as if they already had some battle experience.

There was a clear distinction between the people, newcomers might never see it, but those with keen eyes could. The waterways, were not only giving water to the people, they were also guiding the direction of the town's growth.

His eyes met the elven woman's form once again, however she was in the arms of an unknown knight with beaten grey armor, the two shared a look filled with passion.

There was no doubt to it, the two had a relationship and perhaps were on the verge of a political marriage. That was something that needed looking into, incase the need to drive a wedge between the adventurers wasneeded.

They spent the next ten to twenty minutes walking and seeing the town and to no surprise there wasn't much to talk about. So they simply returned to their comrades who were all still in the same place they left them behind.

Do o the fact that there weren't any inns, they decided to camp out for the night. Little by little they saw the lamps begin to light themselves. As the shops closed, they saw how a slight mist would settle in and just how the lamps light seemed to carry itself along the mist.

The people picked up their products and took them in for the night, while the men that would work on the waterways were replaced by a group of men that worked on another set of paths. It was a set of paths that had stones just as smooth as the water ways, however this one didn't seem to be in any hurry to be built.

Where the waterways had dirt paths with clear water, until they were replaced with stone thereby helping keep the water clean. These ones however were being made and when the paths were made smooth stones were placed to seal it. There were a set of covers place on top of these path ways.

As knights they watched the empty night pass quietly and saw just how different the town was at night from how it was during the day.

The sound of footsteps caught their attention, to the knight captain was well trained, his heart nearly stopped when he realised that the footsteps were right next to him and his men.

The sound of something heavy and the warm smell of a soup, drove their attention to the center of their camp

However the sight they were greeted by was one few could have possibly imagined, it was a cat, no a cat man. He wa dressed like a noble, however he was serving a bow of warm stew and had already several more filled .

''If I could sneak up behind you boys, then you need better training'' the cat man said as he served the food.

''Who are you'' the knight captain asked

''My goodness where are my manners. My name if Nyanta and you sir have already spoken to my associate earlier. Consider this our welcoming festivity.'' Nyanta answered the captain.

''It is a pleasure to meet you sir'' the knight captain answered Nyanta.

''I'll cut straight to the point, the letter we received, stated that you and your men should stay here in order for us to try and make better relations. However we're not keen in keeping people against their will, so you and your men are welcome to stay, so I'll leave you for tonight, so you can think about your decision.'' Nyanta, said to the knight captain.

As Nyanta walked away, they beach took a single bow and began to eat, however they noticed that the there was still plenty of extra left inside the pat, if any of them wanted another serving.

As they ate their meal in silence, they began to notice certain oddities, not inside the town but near it, oddities that explained just why the cat man was so capable of moving around so quietly.

Their danger senses, a skill learned over the years, one that had proven itself more than essential alerted them of danger. Over and over again their senses told them they should wake up, or simply sleep lightly.

Wild animals such as wolves or some wild cattle abandoned to their fate by their owners, to whispering fiends would go to the edges of the town where the waterways stopped. However as the light of day began to rise, they were met by a small tho predictable sight, on the roof and in the edges of some walls or homes, several guards.

Assassin tips watched over the town at night.

However as the day set in several people began to arrive, faces burnt by the sun, hungry and covered in dirt. They carried several wounded and others fainted, dehydrated and near death.

The drought had gotten to them.

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2  
The people were immediately given water and taken to the nearest healer and some kind of potion was given to them. However after they were fully healed and managed to gain their strength, they would be on their own.

Shiroe knew this and even tho he did feel bad for them, their situation wasn't all that different from a lot of the people that had arrived before them.

Right now he was in a meeting by telepathy with the rest of the round table alliance, for reasons of security they couldn't leave Akihabara unprotected and for the same reason they couldn't leave the town alone. Still they should really decide name for the town.

But that wasn't their position, no that was the people's duty, considering this was their town.

It took nearly three hours but the deals and internal arguments had finally ended, arguments because for obvious reasons they couldn't leave their own town unprotected and the spells and mixture of attacks left them all depleted of their power.

The second issue was that nearly all of the adventurers were needed for the ice pillars to be formed. Plus the need of smooth stones to hold the pillar.

Finally a decision was made and it was one that would eventually affect everyone because of it an ice pillar would be built near the portal that was connecting the two worlds, that way if ever needed then an emergency water supply would remain within the caves, safely away from whatever destroyed the other pillars.

Another would be built away from the city itself while distant it would be one of the largest ones created, this one would need at least two or three acts done over and over again. Stones from the drying river would cover the river floor, then the people could use the water supply for the crops andwhatever else they might need.

To the north of the town a pillar would be built it would be made at the edge, needles to say that the pillars were cold and dropped the surrounding areas temperature. Another one would be to the south-another to the west and finally another to the east.

The original one that was already made would serve as the center of it all.

Now to get all of the stones they needed to be collected from fountains and pools from the ruins of the cities from the world of Elder Tales. Soo only the pillars holdings would be having them, so in order to secure the waters the people of the new world needed to collect the rocks themselves from wherever they could.

People didn't just work for free, so spices would be used as payment.

Still all of this took time and a lot of work and effort, so there would be work for the people and for a time that would be okay, but what then and what would all of those people do after the job was done.

So the decision was made that the pillars wouldn't be created all at once instead in separate ocations.

That was a problem in itself, but it was also a solution. The problem was that in these moments the town of Akihabara would be open to an attack, but it also provided a chance for trade and work for the people.

The guilds currently working together in building the train, their report was that several sections were nearly completed and some of the people of the land [natives] were currently building the rail lines.

Luckily in the new world the people themselves were building the rail lines andwere even creating their own version of the train, this one would be used to go into the opposite direction into the unknown areas of the new world.

There were so many unknowns to be considered and for the moment things were going fine, only because the people were keeping themselves well behaved, but in time things could change and the punishments might no longer be enough.

There was also the issue, whatever kingdoms existed here one had taken an eye to them and they now had knights running around doing their own thing for the moment. Not only that the king and the princess from elder tales were now aware of the new world.

This was obviously an issue and the two sides would one day meet. There was no telling what could and would happen then.

Shiroes head hurt but the decision was made and now they had to deal with it, the first pillar to be made would be the one that would fill the drying river. It would be up to the people of the new world to fill the floor with the needed stones.

There was also an issue reported by several of the men and boys, one that Shiroe had to report. Mothers were presenting their daughters to the adventures and some families even simply wanted to give them away as concubines for them.

Luckily nothing has happened yet, but one drunken night and there would be an issue. There was no problem with the adventures having relationships, but the issue was all to apparent. The people were trying to gain ground and secure a hold with the adventures.

There is another issue, Silver sword has begun to order food from them and as things are happening somehow they have managed to reactivate the golems, the defenders of their city and have left them in stand by.

They are searching for meats-potions-metals and warm clothing. There is also the more alerting petitions armored vehicles and the ways to repair them, if possible the machines to make the beacles themselves.

These simple petitions show signs of a war on its way.

As payment they offer gold-skins and even some equipment that are particularly interesting.

Shiroe exhaled as he saw another group of people coming in, they needed to order more meat and clothing from Elder Tales, soon this would be to hard to maintain separate and the new world along with the original one, would be to enter twined in their investmentwith each other.

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The problem with all of this was where exactly to put the pillars and which ones should be made first. I was no mystery that the river was needed, tho it was drying up, there was no denying that there was still water flowing thru it.

Not only that but the sheer size of the pillar created an excessive amount of water that escaped and drained the adventurers of their magic.

If they build to close to the area where the farmers grew the crops, then they would be dealing with the same problem but under different conditions. The plants would freeze rather than die without water and the people would lose the way to feed themselves.

They build to far into the unknown areas and they risk leaving the pillar alone and having someone claim it as their own, they would simply say that they found it and no one was using it. Not only that but it would attract all sorts of wild animals.

Build it to close to the direction where people kept coming from and it had the ability of attracting even more people. People that they didn't have anymore room for.

Then there was the water itself, the river could take it but could the waterways, that had already been built.

After a brief discussion it was decided that since people were coming anyways, then the first pillar would be made in that direction.

It would take a week to dig and put the stones in place and another week for all of the adventures to get together, The town's defenses back in Elder Tales was resolved considering that they didn't really need all of the adventurers.

After discussing it some more the weakest members of the guilds would remain and the strongest would perform the ritual, they may be weak members but they were stilladventurers, that would be dammed if the town was destroyed.

It was no mystery that the stronger the adventurer the stronger the attack.  
1

The man watched his children play, as they chased each other near his home. For a while their home had been his carriage, but as time went by he was lucky to be one of the few the adventurers helped build a home for.

The practice was now nearly abandoned, he could see that they adventurers had other priorities now. There was a division growing, one that was both from the mind and from the body.

People from the original village were now dressed in finer cloths and had succeeded in attaining the adventurers aid in rebuilding as well as redesigning their homes. They only walked amongst the town, if at all and retreated to the inner town at night, nothing too serious, at least until one noticed that when they spoke to people, the did it with a tone that seemed almost disgusted.

He and his family were placed along a rather unique position, that didn't mean that they were the only ones.

They remembered the time before they came to this town and now they were outsiders, now they were seen by the people coming in as the town's inhabitants, while the original inhabitants still saw them as outsiders.

The original wall that was being built was now complete and it surrounded the original village and with a lot of pleading the now growing town, managed to convince the adventures in to building one to defend them as well.

Now a new job had started and in all honesty, there was plenty of work and if one didn't work it was because they didn't want to.

The reason was simple, if one wanted to travel then they could become a merchant-join the exploration group[tho it was mostly,made of adventurers and criminals]- he could help work on the crops-help build the waterways-build homes and even build the wall.

Now there was the now hole in the ground being dug up, so there was more work.

Shops had begun to open smiths that sold all kinds of armors and weapons- sowing groups to weave together clothing and so forth and now there was a guard being formed and a group of knights from had begun to train them, times were changing yet again.

A brief cry made the man turn his head and see his wife holding their youngest child, both had grown plump in the short tie they had been here and to be honest.

The man preferred his wife this way, rather than the thin woman he had seen and married.

He knew that had these been other times they would be much thinner than they were, no they would have been so much thinner. He had no doubt of what the drought would have done to them.

He had no doubt because as people arrived they showed the signs of the lack of food, some wanted to take a group to go and get whatever people remained in their villages and towns.

Unfortunately they would have to do it alone, no one not even the adventurers would aid them, there were to many problems already, so if they added more people things would be worse.

Those men left either vowing vengeance or in deep disappointment.

A brief gasp escaped his wife's mouth and his children ran up to them, when he looked up he was met with a sight he hadn't seen in a long time. Men and women whose presence could make even the boldest of men bow their heads with their sheer presence.

They wore armors and clothing entirely unique to themselves, on their capes the shield s of their own unique houses. Shiroe was amongst them, the adventurer that usually could be seen attending to the peoples activities.

However the man before them was no longer the exhausted scribe that they had gotten used to seeing, no now this man had a firm eye of determination and his presence was so powerful that it nearly made him kneel just by looking at him.

His daughter fell to the ground, she couldn't even kneel, they were too much for them, but it had only been a moment and the feeling had gone just as quickly as it had come.

He was about to get up and help his children when he saw that the children that had the same shields on their capes as the adventurers, help his children up. Immediately he saw them chase after the adventurers without a care in the world, his wife was about to warn them not to, but he stopped her.

It all made sense now. Those children were adventurers themselves.

His family and himself had regained their breaths when a loud explosion caught their attention and water fell from the sky, but there was not a single clout to the sky.

All of a sudden children ran screaming for their parents, some had faces so full of smiles as they pulled them to see something, it didn't take long for them to see it. He followed and his eyes were met with a second pillar of ice.

All of a sudden the sound of water rushing was heard and the waterways were filled with even more water than before. A man began to speak and say the Shallya was present on these lands another spoke and preached that Sigmar had shown his favor upon this place.

Still another preached that Verena was here showing the people, slowly arguing began to occur. Yet as it grew the adventurers themselves put it down, their words were all too clear .

''We allowed you to stay and we will kike you out.''

As the water slowed down until it finally stopped, the lights in the sky began to grow and shine slowly over the town. I was for a brief moment but the man saw a blue light hit the original pillar and vanish.

That night a banquet was held in honor, of the new pillars creation. However the adventurers that were seen during the day fid not take part of it, it was said that people were toscared of them, while others believed that they saw it as too much trouble.

Still time passed and more holes were being dug up and smooth stones were placed in them to secure the positions.

A group of merchants arrived carrying hundreds of people nearly dying, like the people that had arrived before they were given water and medical attention. Slowly a small house was created by using the tents from the people.

This worked in the same way as the people that lived in their carriages, however in locations these people heard that the adventurers had made homes for the original arrivals and they proceeded to demand the same.

It would have been another issue for the adventurers to deal with, had the people not begun to get violent.

There is a word for this especially uttered by the townspeople. ''Stupidity'' there was a simple move done by the adventurers, the assassins knocked any that attacked the people not hurting anyone.

However the presence of the adventurers, that had been known as just another group of people at this moment had completely changed. The kind elven woman and men were now cold and harsh. The knights and beast men were so enraged by the damage done that as men that laid eyes on them actually ran into the dried wastelands.

''No one is entitled to anything. If we don't help you in building your homes, is because you are capable of doing it yourselves ad the people around you could help you.'' Shiroe said, his words and eyes were now so powerful that they nearly broke people's will.

Slowly the crowd dispersed, but they were so shaken by the adventurers that many of them left the town.

A few weeks later the third pillar was created and again the blue light connected with the second and first pillar.

[][]

]][]][  
The man watched as the knights gathered the group of problematic people and took them into the scouting corps. They were no longer refugees seeking for aid, no now they were traitors that had bitten the hand that had been given to them.

Is wife had gone to him shaken by what she had seen, it was her tha told him just why the adventurers had reacted the way they had.

It was no surprise that the adventurers would have overlooked this act of hostility, of that no one would have argued. However some time ago, the elven woman of the Crescent Moon Alliance had gathered her followers and created a orphanage for the children that had come in without their families.

The home also took in mothers and even entire families.

The trouble makers burned it to the ground, risking the lives of dozens of children-infants and pregnant mothers.

It was said that not a single man had taken part of the attack, no the attackers were all woman. However the men they attacked the walls and the shopping district, as odd as it may have seemed the knights were actually surprisingly lenient with them, not a single person was truly hurt.

Sure a couple of black eyes-broken bones or stolen food, but these men all took what anyone desperate for food would have taken.

The third group however those were the ones that only joined to cause trouble and were now being hunted down like animals by the the knights.

That same night a hearing was taken and the adventurers wanted justice but not an overly cruel punishment.

The people however they weren't so kind.

The members of the Crescent Moon were kind to all and did everything within their power to help the people, it was for this reason that they were warmly welcomed in anyone's home. They were warriors-healer-midwives and teachers.

It was the elven woman who took on the sic when the healing tents were overworked.

The people's demands for the trouble makers punishment became so great that the adventurers feared what the people would do to them. So as punishment all of them would be sent into the wastelands to map out the surrounding areas.

They saw this as an act of mercy while a firm punishment.

The people however saw the look in the knight's eyes, they two had grown to care and welcome the members of the Crescent Moon. After all they had opened their doors to the knights and had given them some spare rooms for them to live at least until their own building could be completed.

The knights openly demanded that if they were to watch over these trouble, makers then they shouldn't have to deal with any other group.

The adventures agreed, the pain in their eyes was all too clear. They somehow knew that something bad was going to happen to those prisoners.

3  
As the light of day came up and the the smell of ash and wet dirt hit the senses. The broken stands of the shopping districts, two groups were made, one that took part in the destruction of the homes of the people and the burning of the house of the Crescent Moon.

The second was just the people that took the food and medication they needed, this group would be spared of the punishment planned for them.

There were plenty of bandits seen by the merchants, along with them plenty of hungry animals and dangerous terrain.

So if anything were to happen to the filth, no to the prisoners during this time, the knights couldn't possibly be at fault after all they had to keep an eye on everything. Some would argue that as woman some of them needed protection far greater than the men needed.

In those ties the knight captain would remind those fools, that had this occurred in the empire, those same woman would have been publicly tortured and burned as punishment for their treachery.

As the group began to walk, the knights had one thing in mind locating and killing those that fled into the waste land.

As for the second group, they would be put thru hellish training and the few knight's given to them would only serve as trainers. After all, their only crime was getting what they needed out of desperation and by now the adventurers had shown that they were more than willing to forgive these group.

However the knights wouldn't be so lenient, the mapping out of the area was still essential so they would make them run in that form, scale any cliffs and so forth. To help them lots of water and food was taken, as well as some potions and healing material.

As for the first group only the bare minimumwas taken and it would be highly rationed.

[][]

[[]  
The knight captain watched as the people struggled to walk under the scorching sun, the dead dried dirt crumbled with every step they took. The woman cried and screamed, some of the men gave defiant looks and had signs of wanting to attack him and his men.

However as the minutes became hours their endurance and defiance weakened. The woman screamed and cried, the sheer thought that they could and would be treated this way was entirely alien to them.

The men simply kept quiet their instincts were already kicking in, right now survival was the only thing that matters. The lack of water and food was now beginning to take its toll on them and the knights themselves couldn't help but smile.

They had been present when the adventurers and some of the workers had their meeting, a decision had been made. A house similar to that of the Crescent Moon would be made for the people that had arrived in such numbers.

The people would have to take care of it and provide for themselves, but at least this way they could have a home and a roof over their heads.

Now these ungrateful garbage, was being punished just like the trash they were.

The knight captain for his part thought that there was no need to care of such filth, in all reality in any of the kingdoms even those of the beast men or even the elves from what he had heard from words here and there. This kind of severe disrespect and rebellion would have had all of the people rounded up and either hanged-tortured-burned at the stake.

If they were in a rather kind town the woman would have been turned into pleasure slaves and their sons and daughter for twelve generations would have been subjected to the same fate.

This way eventually they would be forgiven and they would pay of their debt to the people.

The men would have been sent to the mines or used as breeding beast for whatever ting or simply increasing the number of slave births. Then they would be worked to death, if they were lucky.

But the adventurers had weak hearts and so the filth had been sent to scout the surrounding dead lands. To see the same woman who had only hours earlier had so much rage and fire now broken and desperate had a small feeling of dullness.

But to see the same men that thought they were unbeatable, now bowing their heads, this felt oddly good.

They were supposed to look at the surrounding area and bring back any dying or lost people, while they were at it put down any bandit-monster and troublemaker they found.

It should only take a week, however the knight captain as well as his men had decided to extended to two. After the sun went down they would force the prisoners to strip off all their clothing and carry it during the cold night, when the sun went back up they would be allowed to wear them on again.

By the time they returned to Jewel they would either be dead or learned their place. They were worth less than the excrement the animals dropped. Before they were valuable refuges now even if the adventurers weak hearts wanted to show mercy, he would not.

Still their main mission from the empire was to build a better relation with the town of jewel, so his men the ones that went with the people that acted on desperation, they would put those men threw the mill. Any that said that a mill could never hurt anyone, they had obviously never seen the torture chambers.

In time those men and woman would be forgiven and find that their worth was now greater than ever before.

They had seen the house of the Crescent Moon, help the injured and care for toes at the edge of death. Infants were born there when their mothers were about to give birth and so on.

None of the people ever asked for any kind of payment and they had only created the larger building after seeing the people's suffering.

The elven woman had openly wished she could do more to help the people.

And these filth went and burned the house down.

[][]

]]]]  
1  
The mood was grim and would remain grim for the adventurers, the burning of the Crescent Moon Alliance guild house, was a heavy hit to both the people and the adventurers. The people that had received the help by the members of the crescent moon alliance had now lost it, the house was still there.

It was built by stone and heavily sturdy material, right now the house was covered in smoke and black ash, nearly all of the refugees belonging were gone and what little they had was all but useless.

There was little to no question that some of the people acted in sheer desperation, but these bach they were just people that wanted to cause trouble.

The townspeople both original and settled wanted justice and protection.

So in an a heavy meeting between the chosen leaders from the settled in towns people, the new arrivals and the original towns people. Everyone came to the same conclusion, the main punishment would remain the same, however for situations that were worse their new punishments were created.

One if the situations were forgivable then they could join the military or go into the farms and even the mines, until they pay up their debt to the town.

If it was even harsher the crime, then they would simply leave them somewhere in the wastelands. They would not be allowed back in.

The last vit was apparent that the knights were going to do something to those people, unfortunately none of the adventurers had the harts to do what needed to be done,as they would allow the knights to do what needed to be done.

Right now the people were helping cleaning and rebuilding everything that the troublemakers, the plan they had come to earlier was still going to be done however now the people were going to have to build the buildings together.

In essence they would be apartment buildings but no one could gain any more rooms other than the ones they already had when the buildings were completed.

However the buildings would only be their homes until another house was built by the people.

A list was made by the number of families and single people, this meant that no one would be allowed to put their names on the top of the list.

Then there were the other issues, with the arrival of more people the need for food had increased and so from the world of elder tales, more and more meat vegetables and overall food and clothing was brought in.

Not only that figurines and clothing had also come in with that stuff, more and more the two worlds were becoming dependent on each other.

Also from what the people had told them, the towns near the edge of the border between the part where humans live are now gone and had become apart of the refuges.  
The thing was that the villages and towns, closer to the human controlled areas, because they either were too old-to young or had let the drought get to them and jewel was the closest thing to them.

There was also the whispering amongst the people here and there, that a large group was coming, its size would either make jewel into a kingdom or it would break the town.

However the good news in all of this the mist that lingered during the night was now being carried by the wind and plants had begun to grow around the town.

Those that had animals took full advantage of the grass to feed their animals.

Some people plated whatever plants they had and had begun to start their own businesses around either the animals or their plants. This group was setting down and beginning to flourish.

[][]

Just like that two weeks passed and the third pillar was put up and as odd as it might have seemed its creation caused a great wind, from what the adventurers and some of the few magic users could figure out, the lowering temperature of the pillars surrounding area, combined with the hot weather caused the early effects for storm clouds to be started.

The sewer system was going along nicely and with the time that passed the rail lines were now beginning to connect with the mountains, soon they would reach the entrance to the portal.

With the added time the soil had become moist enough that the animals wouldn't go hungry anymore, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

With the peoples help Cresent Moons guild house was cleaned and repaired and a sense of normality settled in.

However far from these lands a group of men and women listened to their fellow men and woman.  
Within the combined drunken stupors and cheerful words each one let on some bits of information they would have normally never uttered had they been of sound of mind.

So word reached the main ruler whether it was the emperor king or who ever mattered not, for the results were the same, a woman stepped forth, she had long red ahir-paile skin-light blue eyes and plump red lips a wonder for any man looking for a partner.

However had anyone bothered to look beyond her looks they would seem, the cruelty hidden just beneath her beauty.

The people of Jewel, did not deserve such a growing kingdom, so a simple seduction would take place, after all if the people had allowed such rebellion, then they were fools and nothing else.

However whether it was fate or simply an act of the moment in the world of Elder Tales, the king read his granddaughter's report, her friendship with the adventurers allowed her to hear just what had happened.

It was obvious to the king and his counselors that the adventurers were seen by the people as their rulers, even if the adventurers themselves out right denied this and even tried to stop such things.

So he agreed to allow his daughter to go and see the other world, only if the adventurers would keep her company at all times. She would go in the utmost form that a princess could. Her long silver hair-pale skin-light blue eyes and gentle nature would aid her in approaching the people.

However the king hoped that his granddaughters lazy attitude, when she was alone wouldn't be seen by the people.

During this time the people settled in a form of class life, the highest and most well lived were the original people of the town, the mid level were those that had settled and now had better lives, while the low class were those that were left outside.

This was their normality and tho many were now more resentful than ever, none dared to raise the adventurers anger.]

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][][  
2  
Shiroe sat on a table yet again he was covered in paperwork, he sat on the table because as of his chair was covered in even more paperwork.

The last couple of weeks had been tough, but they somehow made it work, with the growing number of workers the jobs that were needed doing were being done in record time, the new sewer system was being completed, it was made slowly next to the waterways, but they were done in a slower pace. The reason, unlike the waterways the sewer system couldn't just be turned of.

The waterways could be directed in another direction and the people could get their water from there, but the sewer system, well it was like telling people to stop using the bathroom.

Rocks were used to secure and hold the area while water would poure in it every forty to fifty minutes, ensuring that no waist would remain, the cover and the stones were being marked with runes that kept the stone in good condition, while eliminating the smell.

The ail lines were coming along nicely and sofar with the new pillars the water shortage was being dealt with.

However animals had begun to approach the outskirts of the town, either drawn by the water of food the people have and even by the animals that eat grass that some predatory creates eat.

A few days ago the knights returned and even tho they returned in separate groups both groups were brought in, one had the people that had tried to get food water and anything a desperate person could get. They were immediately told that they had done a good job and to go and see their families.

Shiroe rubbed his eyes, every morning this group would gather with the growing number of trainees and practice with the sword or do basic military exercises.

The second group however, they returned completely exhausted and nearly broken, the knight captain denied anyone s attempt to provide water or food to the prisoners.

When questioned about it his answer was.

''I understand that you are good people, but if you want to maintain order, then you need to give the people treason to fear their punishment. None of them will die, but I guarantee, no one will want to be place in these conditions'' the knight captain said.

Unfortunately no one could argue with him, the prisoners were going to stay with the knight captain for an entire month and it was now becoming apparent that they might not last that long.

Shops were growing and imports from both the new world and elder tales were coming and going.

There was another issue, religious leaders had taken over one of the pillars, or should it be said that there were times that a pillar was worships and said to be blessed by a particular god. I didn't seem to dawn to the people that the adventurers themselves had created them in front of the people.

No that wasn't right, the people didn't care, they worshiped a god and nothing else, they simply chose to worship near the pillars because it was the pillars that were producing the water, they desperately needed.

The river was drying up faster than anyone had anticipated and soon the adventurers would have to gather and create the largest pillar. The winds were carrying the water in the air, so this wasn't an issue yet, but the water in the air only reached so far.

More and more things were coming up, as they solved one problem many more came up. Shiroe looked up to the ceiling and began to think, maybe it was time for the adventurers to leave and let the people do things on their own.  
5

In a carriage pulled by a group of fine horses and a small group of guards a woman with red hair smiled, as she read the reports of the rulers of the town of jewel she identified one easy prey.

There was a scribe one of great strength in the pen, this meant that the man would be weak in the understanding of the world around him. As she and her guard near the town they began to see the colors in the sky and the cool wind was like heaven considering the droughts uncaring heat.

In a few hours they were able to see the town and a seductive smile, with the hints of greed and cruelty appeared on her pale skin. Her eyes showed that she liked what she saw and as the sweat ran down her breast she seductively called out to one of the guards and ordered the her guard to stop.

A the man enters the carriage, then after a few minutes another man replaced him and another and another, until all of them had entered the carriage.

By the time they all had begun to move one again, both her and her maidens were dressed in completely different clothing. Her eyes gazed at the crista like towers that sparked as the light hit them and how the town seemed to become more and more wealthier as it approached the towers.

The outside of the town was covered in tents and some green, while all around it was a dead land, it was obvious that the lesser ones lived on the outside. Either way all she had to do was take the town from the scribes hands and the first step in attaining the town would be done.

Still one needed servants and it wouldn't belong before the girls with her would be with child, really youth was always in het, so she would see just which ones of the filth was good enough to accompany her.

If there were any good men, well first she would test them then have them perform for her with one of her servants and if they were good enough she would take them.

After all perfection didn't just happen and the perfect toy had to be made, so with enough time and years, she would breed the perfect bed partner.

Now how to get that scrive.

[]][

[][][][]  
[The heat had gotten to him, several of the females were on their last legs. It was only through sheer luck that they had found the caves and escaped the heat, that's when they found it a waterfall coming from a tower made of ice.

It was like the gods had blessed them, as more and more creatures were lured into the caves and immediately went to drink from the waters.

Several females went into heat, there was more than enough water and food was growing, however this only applied to the caves outside the sun was still unbearable, so they had to venture outside at night.

Less they fall to the unbearable heat.

At times they saw several males and females he thought they were called humans, tho in reality no one was sure. None of them had ever seen a human, they seemed weak and easy prey.

Again it was only sheer luck that none of his females and his subordinate males didn't attack, others however weren't so lucky and were quickly dealt with by the humans.

This happened in several locations, either the humans went into a nest or left the cave, however once in awhile they would gather around the ice tower and make it grow each time the waters flowed in great abundance.

It was soon learned that these were the ones creating the tower of water so many would leave the humans alone and any new comers would be dealt with should they try and feast on them.

Less the humans no longer wish to create the water or simply leave forever in retaliation.

The caves were ever changing, more and more creatures were coming in and venturing deeper into the caves. Many died in the various holes in the ground or eaten by the predators in them.

The females will soon be having their litters and if the ways continued the waters would flow again, he smiled a toothy smile soon they would grow in number and show the gods that only they deserved to rule the caves.

With any luck they would gain the power over the waters and even replace the humans]  
3  
The knight captain watched as the town grew all around him, in the short amount of time he had been there. Under normal circumstances this would have been entirely impossible and to be honest by now the entire place would have been covered in crime.

However no one wanted to enrage the adventurers, not since that day and tho he didn't admit it, seeing the prisoners in the state that they were, no one wanted their punishment and that filled him with a rather sense of pride.

Most of the men had been given work in the mines and their names had been added to the list of homes, the knight captain would have said that creating something like this was idiotic, but the adventurers had found a way to make it work.

One home pet family, since the first born usually inherited the problems they would inherit the home, so any other man would get their names put on the list.

However women were not eligible for this, unless their families agreed to this, the reason no one would protect them and should an attack happen no one would be held responsible.

This was further proof that the adventurers weren't idiots, they were just fools with good hearts.

The surrounding areas were being dug up for the stones needed, everything used stones so there was a lot of loose soil and those that knew about working the lands settled in these areas. Unfortunately arguments began and shiroe had to set a standard size none of the farmers could exceed.

The reason was simple, they were all taking water in barrels by this point and if they didn't want to be forced to stop carrying the water. The mist didn't reach so far, plus there was a chance that the farmers could eventually control so much land that they might hold all the food supply in their power.

Still the town was growing and everyone that was living in the carriages and on the streets would soon have their own homes, homes they were paying of by building their own and helping build the rest of the people's.

A cold wind blasted past him and the sight of the last pillar caught his eye, yet again none of his men had seen how the adventurers created them. They had been gone punishing the prisoners so they missed the creation of the other three and with this last pillar complete, the adventurers called their work complete.

''Mom..mom,mom,look'' a boy called to his mother as he pointed to the sky.

As the knight captain turned to look his eyes caught the sight of a swirling light growing in the sky, the cold wind flowed past him, yet as one of his men ran up to him he began to speak of what he saw.

Apparently the swirling lights in the sky were going away from the empires direction and headed straight into the unknown lands.

There was another issue, the winds were carrying water and if this continued a lot of the soil will soon become moist and green grass would begin to grow. Green grass that attracted hungry plant eating animals, who in turn attracted carnivores animals and creatures and with them other sets of unmentionables.

Also the waters were spilling outside of the town.

The waterways were built for a certain amount of water and should that amount be exceeded then a system was implaced so the water would flow out and that's exactly what was happening, unfortunately, this water was flowing in such away that it seemed to have a purpose.

Cracks on the land were being filled and if this continued, who knows what else might happen.

The water was flowing in all directions and already birds were throwing themselves into the puddles.

The mans report ended there and the knight captain was about to go have words with one of the adventurers and find out if they knew this would happen, that is until the preachers began to say that their god had blessed this day.

As a believer in Sigmar he didn't like when someone took the gods in vain, however even he could not argue that a greater power was at work.

The knight captain began to move, even tho he was with the prisoners at the moment his duty required him at height of the town's position. That is he needed to be in the oldest part of Jewel.

As he began to move, he passed the refugees that had not had any homes built\paid for them as of yet, he saw how their children played in the water and how their smiling faces seemed to brighten the day.

The men were hard at work putting their meager possessions into higher ground and the woman hummed as they collected their various trinkets.

Somehow they all seemed happier.

He began to pass the housing area and how their rocky buildings, now had small amounts of plants growing near them, a reminder of their time when they lacked a home in the town.

He passed the market and saw how the merchants boosted their meats-cheeses-breads and so forth.  
Plants of various kinds were all over and water flowed thru the stone roads, where several young men and women scrubbed away at the excrement the animals dropped.

Finally he reached the oldest part of the town and saw how water flowed thru the walls, walls that were covered in green plants of all kinds, even as he entered the sight of luxury homes and woman dressed in fine cloths could be seen.

He soon reached the town's leaders home, where he found that shiroe along with several of his cohousing members were discussing something he ignored.

His eyes soon met with the figure of a small woman dressed in outrageous out fit, that only a gesture would wear. Tho she had a rather pleasing body, he could not help but feel anger towards the knight of the hus of the Long Horizon.

The am already had the lady of the Crescent moon and from what the people had told him, the woman at his side at the moment, was either his concubine or a set bride within a separate house.

There were stories spoken in whispers by the people that the two woman would of then argue which of them would be the main woman, in the man's life.

Shiroe looked at him and said ''Good you're here, it appears that a dignitary from another kingdom or was it town is here and I was wondering if you knew her name''

The leader of the house of the Horizon his eyes said much more, they were cold and calculating. It was almost as if he had seen something everyone else hadn't.

[][]

][][  
The knight captain felt as if he was under the gaze of the someone in the imperial house, he could feel shiro's eyes noting every move he unintentionally made.

''What can you tell us about, the town or is it kingdom of Yar?'' Shiroe asked him

The knight captain could only feel his skin tighten with anger the putrid filth of Yra was here, if its taint contaminates his ever growing gem that was called Jewel then there was no telling what might happen to the people and what it might mean in the future.

He was about to begin to speak, when he noticed that several members of the house of the Horizon had one of their hands on their heads.

Next to them were the leaders elected by the people from each of the towns sections, they were all expecting his words.

''Yar, yar is a town\kingdom based around slaves and merchants. They are known to go to small villages and towns. When thishappens two things occurs, either they claim the villages\towns under their control.

The methods they use are different each time, so no one knows how they usually gain the people's lands.

The other method, they whisper sweet words to the people and any of the young.'' the knight captain paused to see if there was any reaction from shiroe, however he saw none.

''Once the people are claimed, their daughters-wives and servants are passed around to yar's guards-slaves-merchants and any buyers from other kingdoms.

When the woman are fully broken, they begin to spread them out to any buyer the might find. They don't spread or grow, instead they infiltrate and contaminate, afterall they are merchants. So the need buyers and fools who believe their leaders are still the ones in charge.''

''The men are no different and their fate is divided in either pleasing both the men and women until their wills are broken. Or they join the defense group and do the same to others that fall for Yar's trickery.

The empire has attempted to destroy yar in several locations, but it is like killing a rat. There are others somewhere else all the time and there are those in powerful positions that enjoys Yars exotic merchandise.

Like I said before they are merchants, so if a slave were to buy his or her freedom, they will be given it. They pride themselves in keeping their words, after all what is a merchant without credibility.''

The knight captain finished, however shiroes eyes were now covered in shadow.

''I see, thank you'' shiroe said as he got up and walked out of the room.

[][]

]][  
2  
The cold air passed through him like the wind found in the mountains or in the early mornings at a beach. As he walked the people bowed their heads and moved out of his way, children in their ever present laughter filled the surrounding area with their joy filled voices.

The town had grown a lot and with it more and more responsibilities had fallen onto the adventurers and by extent the Round Table Alliance [R.T.A]. However that didn't change the fact that this was indeed another world, one with its own separate rules and factions.

Si when in Elder Tales, Shiroe could make do with his understanding of the game world mechanics and his fellow adventurers information.

Here he was no different then everyone else.

This meant he needed to build his own information group and even tho the merchants-the people that arrived and the original town's inhabitants told him a lot about the land and what they knew. Shiroe knew that they hadn't told him everything and if they had their information was extremely limited to their area.

His suspicions had been confirmed when the knight captain told him about the schools of magic and the gods that ruled the lands. He told tales of the man that became a god Sigmar and the secret stories about those forbidden beings that worship the mad gods of chaos.

Things weren't any better even with this information, seeing as they were at the edge of the new world and at the borders of a land simply known as the lost regions or the weistlands.

There was no information on what laid on the other side and if reports from wat Silver Swords members were true, there was another portal somewhere around the world. The reason another one was made by whoever made the portals, was alsodiscovered as the people of the landsresearchers.[ however few they may have been]

There was a main portal and an emergency one built just in case something happens and the main portal was damaged, that way the people using it would not be harmed and would simply be sent to the other portal.

From the reports Silver Sword had come in contact with a world similar to world war two russia, however the planet was a frozen wasteland and its people extremely xenophobic. However after a brief invasion and following negotiations the reason was known, the people had experienced invasions of creatures known as orks a fungus life form made for war and nothing else.

Now it seemed that this new town was being scouted for invasion and shiroe knew there was little he could do to stop it from happening.

If what the knight captain had said was true then it was the worst\best kind of invasion.

It was a degradation of the people's unity and structure of the way of life, until the people grew so use to corruption betrayal of their leaders that those that chad caused all of the suffering could claim power with little effort.

So caught up in his thoughts that shiroe failed to notice a young woman in front of her, only when he was about to knock her down did he see her, unfortunately for the both of them he failed to stop.

Unfortunately for the both of them the excess water was still flowing and had yet to be removed by the water maintenance system, so the two of them ended up getting their entire cloths wet.

As shiroe rose from on top of the woman he notice that her white shirt had become entirely transparent, allowing him to see everything underneath, her long dress now clung to her skin, so tightly that it showed her rather supple figure.

Shiroe acted quickly and thrue a spare rob he had onto the woman and age her his hand to help her stand. As she rose from the wet stone floor, she thanked shiroe and ran away..

Months later shiroe would understand just how important the woman would become and his mistake for not taking every part of her into consideration because if he had he would have noticed the necklace around her neck.

Still as shiroe continued to walk and his anger disperse did he begin to take in the sight of the world around him. He had barely been involved in the town's development, unlike the rest of his guild.

So caught up he and several of the guild leaders of the various groups had been in making sure the people had homes-food and so on that they had spent their time buried in so much paperwork or performing various deals with the people of the new world and the people of the land, not to mention the adventurers themselves.

Where there were once simple stone buildings, now stood large mansions fit for nobles. Where there were once dead dry lands, there stood a small lake filled with fresh water plants green and filled with life, along with various kinds of animals that shiroe himself wasn't sure if they were strays-pets or wild animals that had come into the town.

As he filled his lungs with the cold air, he caught the scent of flowers and various perfumes, the sweat from the men working and the meats and baked goods the people made.

Shiroe felt his anger dispersed and fully be replaced with a feeling better suited for someone the people called The Villain Behind Glasses.

Like the town in elder tales the adventurers had made this place home and he would be damned if someone would take it from them. From him.

The woman her honored guard and her animals along with their ladies, were all kept in one of the large buildings away from the sight of the last ice towers formation. If they got suspicious they would simply deny there being an extra tower and that the extra water was because some idiot forgot to do their job properly.

It was in fact ab livable story, considering that the last tower had yet to settle in and the magic that held it for some reason made it vanish and reappear. Also from what the reports said the reason for this was because a light had shot from all of the pillars of ice and connected to the first pillar ever built in the town.

The lights were darker as they got older so the center pillar glowed a dark blue and consequently the newest pillar glew a nearly transparent blue, the beams of light that connected them seemed to be the same.

[][]

][][][]][][  
Shiroe arrived at a mansion fit for a king it was here where Yar's representatives were being taken care of, as he turned the knob on the wooden door, it's thick hard wood smelled of fresh lumber and white wine.

As he opened the door the sight of hard wooden floors finely furnished, combined with wooden furniture imported from Akihabara. The sound of pianos and violins playing from a record player, could be heard playing somewhere within the building.

The hint of freshly cooked food met shiroe's sense of smell, along with the faint sounds of a woman crying.

Normally for someone to go into another person's home would be rude and for that matter criminal, but the people of the town not only permitted the adventurers to do so. They in fact encouraged it, shiroe had heard that if a thief heard that an adventurer had entered someone's home, they instinctively would leave that home alone.

Shiroe followed the sounds of the crying and discovered a servant girl being held by her mother, the woman gasped and as shiroe kneeled down to see what was wrong he saw that the girl had a rather large wound on her right thigh and a large bruise on her left breast.

''Was she'' shiroe began to ask, only for the mother to immediately say no. She quickly said that the girl managed to escape before the event happened.

Shiroe casted a brief healing spell making the bruises vanish from her body.

Both women's eyes widened as the healing spell was placed on the girl, however their eyes were caught as the cold look shiroe had. Tho the man showed no hint of emotion, his eyes were cold and extremely calculating, so much so that they seemed to look straight thru them.

''Could you please bring some warm sweet bread to us. I'm about to have a meeting oh and tell the rest of the servants that if they don't report any wrongdoings that have happened recently they will be punished by us.'' shiroe said, as he walked out of the room.

As shiroe walked and entered a room with a large set of bookshelf filled to the brink with books of all kinds, tho they were all children's books they did what the owner intended. A person can learn more about the people and their society, by the toys and books given to their people.

There sited in front of large furnished wooden table, were three women and twenty men, witch spoke wonders about the size of the room and the building itself.

The woman all were incredibly good looking and by their clothing were all of high social status, however there was one amongst them she stood out from the rest of them, her appearance was filled with grace and her figure was incredible.

However despite her pleasing smile, her eyes showed hints of a calculating mind.

Shiroe exhaled and allowed his more relaxed side to show, he allowed his posture to slouch and his more anti social side to be dominant.

''Sorry to keep you waiting, but you understand there's a lot of work to do and time flies'' shiroe said with a goofy grin  
5

She watched as her target walked in and by his posture-the way he dressed and his form of speech, she saw that he was rather weak against the opposite sex. So some sweet words here-a light touch there may be allowing hing to sample and enjoy the girls while getting a taste herself would make the fool sign anything sh placed in front of him.

However as he walked a small girl the size of a child dressed in the cloth of the assassins walked in with him.

She however stood firm, vigilant and by the look in her eyes she had confirmed that should maters turn, she could kill everyone in the room.

The girl's small frame-long purple hair, spoke wonders about the girl's age. She was small so she could and would most likely be a child, but like most assassins she had seen more than most so her eyes were ever visialent.

Things had become slightly more difficult, however she was of no consequence, after all the scrive was the one who had the real power here.

So she began.

''I'll be quick you see, we will only be here for today and tonight as it has been a long trip. But my associates and I are interested in starting a small business here.

From what we heard the town is growing rapidly and would like to contribute to it'' she said displaying her intent at full force, now came the hard prt agreements and rejection of ideas.

''I'm glad to hear that, I expect a full report if you have it of everything you wish to sell or what your business might be about and if anything is in order we will be happy to have you'' shiroe said to the woman, tho as his conversation was being heard by the rest of the adventurers, his words obviously shocked them.

The knight captain didn't know why the rest of the adventurers had reacted in shock and in the world of elder tales, the princess saw the adventurers accompanying her react in the same way. She instantly knew something bad was happening.

''Calm down'' said Krusty the leader of guild D.D.D ''If shiroe rejects their offer, then that would mean the town has something valuable or its trying to hide something. Also the town is growing and revenue is desperately needed .''

''All of you are right to react this way, but shiroe knows what he's doing'' the leader of D.D.D said.

As the meeting continued and paperworkwas held, the woman's attempts of seduction were stopped by the small assassin and any attempts to play mind games were instantly countered by shiroe's own intelligence. Everything seemed to be in order, however all deals were stopped and the woman and her group left the very same day the arrival.

There was a clause a clause that would make all attempts to hide any wrongdoings from the adventurers nearly impossible.

The yar kingdoms and its branches whether official-in word-in mind or simply people that worked for people that worked for them will not do any business besides that that has been agreed upon and any new merchandise imported and exported has to pass through the adventurers first.

If this clause is broken then all towns-representatives-wear abouts and more will be displayed for the adventurers to inspect and deal with. Should the need arrives.

The entire deal was made by magic inc and paper, the representatives of Yar knew that if this were to pass then none of theirstrongholds would be safe. So they simply left vowing vengeance.

[][]

[]][]][  
An uneasysense of calm set in, as the adventurers listened to the entire ordeal and when Yar's representatives left everyone let out a breath they didn't know they were holding in.  
3  
Seeing this the knight captain excused himself and began to make his way to shiroe's location. He briefly knocked on the door and was let in and taken to the study where shiroe and his small companion sat.

''Lord Shiroe, a moment please'' the knight captain said catching shiroe's attention, however he cursed himself for not noticing the strong look that shiroe had on him at the moment.

''Yeah come in'' shiroe answered the knight captain, his hand guiding the knight captain at an empty chair.

A sense of calm settled in between the three people in the room, the knight captain wasn't kidding himself he knew that the rest of the adventurers could still and most likely still were listening.

''The house of the Horizon, the home built for your clan and guards men. Your families shield of arms is displayed on the end of the hall, proudly showing the peoples respect and belief in you.

''...''

''My apologies, from your comrades reaction I can guess that you have managed to push the representatives away. However I would like to confirm my suspicions'' the knight captain said to shiroe.

''And what are your suspicions?'' shiroe asked the knight captain.

''That Yar is already here and has already been here'' the knight captain answered shiroe.

''... It's like you suspect.'' shiroe answered the knight captain, as he handed him the contract that he had made with Yar's representatives.

''...'' The knight captain simply kept quiet.

''Its like you suspected, there's a huge chance that Yar has been here and arrived with the first batch of refuges and if the didn't they were here with the town's originalinhabitants.'' Shiroe said a he sent out a pulse directed at an eagle that was flying near a window.

The moment the animal was killed, a man far from Jewel screamed in pain as his connection to the animal was forcefully cut of.

''I've been looking at your reports, along with several of the stories some of the refuges have said… and I've come to the conclusion that the reason why our refuge numbers aren't higher, is because the bandits attacking the people arriving here are in fact people working for Yar.'' shiroe answered the knight captain.

''Also there's some suspicious activities I've been keeping an eye on. No matter the town or city, there is always going to be a black market.  
However, people talk about people being taken away and never being heard from again. Pretty soon we are going to have to move'' shiroe answered the knight captain.

''So today's meeting'' the knight captain began only for shiroe to finish his sentence.

''Was a formal declaration of war, or if you want to hear it in more specific words. We are in place to take control and power, this is us telling you we are already in position, to take it.'' shiroe finished his statement.

''I see, we will have to strike whereverpossible'' the knight captain said, as he rose from his seat and left.  
5  
She watched as one of her guards held his eye and smiled and began to remember.

She remember how the people of Yar had gone to her hometown and and had taken plenty of men and woman with them after they spoke plenty of things to them.

They were given food and rode in luxurious carts.

This had gone on for five days, until one day they all awoke and had collars on them. They were told that they had made a tremendous depth and were now expected to pay.

She had managed to pay, by stealing and adding the small amount of money to her own. So she was let free, however she was forced to watch as every single one of the girls, widen their eyes and screamed for help and how each of the soldiers had a turn with each one of them.

Even as they made their way to Yar, the men were sold as slaves, while the girls were used by most of the men and woman in every town they passed by.

That entire time she neither drank nor ate anything.

Within Yar things were no different, however when a woman was found pregnant she was tossed out of the town and exchanged for another.

She learned that coins and power were everything, so she would take everything she wanted. However this was the first time, she had found someone that could counter every move she made.

One by one the men in the guard screamed as their beast were being taken out one at a time or in entire groups.

She smiled as they made contact with eighty seven carriages and their guards, in five days they would stop and enjoy themselves with the new products, first they needed them to wear them ought and later take them to the towns, after all they needed to pay for their own stay.

Still she would get her revenge on that scrive soon enough.

[][][

]\\[][]  
2  
It had been two weeks since the representatives of Yar had left and with the help of the minor guilds and the people of the new world they had stormed and disbanded every black market operation they had become aware of.

The knights from the empire helped out and absolutely demanded to be given the leaders of the organisation, everyone that had been associated with them. They took them into the uncharted lands and had yet to return, to think that over a thousand people were found and the amount of people were only growing.

Plans for a jail were being drawn and reality everyone just wanted to find an island and leave all of these people there, no one even tried to lie to themselves about what the knights would be\are doing to the prisoners.

Now new information had been uncovered about the portals, there were seven of them and in the world of Elder Tales all seven could be found. That thought alone was worrying, not because the portals could become active at any moment, but because of where the portals were located.

Four between Akihabara home of the Round Table Alliance but and Susukino where Silver Sword was located, now to add further stress Isaac the leader of one of the combat guilds was now getting married in a few days.

Shiroe knew the man was older than him, but for the man to now be married from not one but two womam….

Still with more of the issues going on within the town a name was finally being taken and by some reason the people as a hole voted for the name Jewel. Really it was the first time people actually agreed o something like this.

Now the new problem that had beenuncovered by the people of the land and Silver Sword, there were two portals in every world, since Elder Tales was the main portal section it had all seven, but every other world had a connection to Elder Tails and one of the other seven.

From what the people of the land managed to translate, the portal seemed to work like this, once a person manages to arrive at another world they no longer need the portal to get to said world they can simply teleport there.

The catch was one needed to find the portal and from there find the other six, sure they could use the onse in elder tales, but they still had to find them not to mention that there was a big chance that on the other side there could be an armie just waiting to attack.

The new world, elder tales and the nowclosely watched Valhalla, were proof of why one should treat these portals as if something dangerous was on the other side.

Trade deals were being carried out by the people of the land and vast amounts of food-warm clothing and potions were heading Susukino, while to Akihabara meats-fruits and clothing was being brought in.

It was now impossible to separate the words and should they be separated, it would be disastrous for everyone involved.

Things were getting quiet and small traces of technology were being brought in and now people had begun to to move into the wastelands. This brought problem in on its own, there was a canyon and when it was searched no trace of any animal or plant life.

So the sewer system simply thrue everything there, the amount of waste was small but if the town kept growing who knew how it might affect the environment.

The excess water had been dealt with and life had finally settled finally everyone could get back to their everyday tire, that alone was a problem. The adventurers had become known as a kind of noble individual said to be blessed by whatever god and the fact that years infiltrators had been uncovered and dealt with further made this belief settle into the people's minds.

Knights that had deserted their kingdoms out of disgust, had lost all of their men and miraculously found Jewel or simply were given a dishonorable discharge had begun to try and join the guilds.

At first this wasn't an issue, until they began to wear the guilds markings, it's said that tho the adventures really don't have a problem with each other. A kind of rivalry has begun to spring up among the accepted knights.

All in all things were going great and soon life would become calm once again or so shiroe hoped, sadly life never worked out this way. It wasn't until a month after the hole Yar incident when a large and what was called final group of refugees came in.

It was composed of people from all kinds, some that were short like dwarfs and people that could wield this world magic. They were all starving and the moment they arrived the only thing that stopped them from storming the merchant area was the fact that the second walls was up.

Hell a lot of them simply thrue themselves at the waterways and drank straight from there.

If it hadn't been for the new knights quick action in restraining the mad group, who knows what they would have done.

So he and the rest of the adventurers were forced to call back the knight captain, in order for him and his men to help with the new batch of people. That there lied the issue, the original part of the refugee problem was being dealt with and were now having their homes built.

Needless to say, this new group both became a blessing and a huge problem.

The people had begun to create an economy on their own in this regard, men that had the brains made huge profits in mines, carrying heavy loads of stones. The farmlands now had a lot more competition and food by no means was scarce, but it wasn't plentiful either.

Employment remained the same and that there lied an issue, what would these people do when the town was complete?

Shiroe rubbed between his eyes and let the thought go, people needed to do things on their own and for things to advance some stuff needed to die out.

No body liked it but refugees in huge numbers were a big problem, they didn't adapt to the lands culture or ways of the world around them and that causedproblems.

The guilds had a mansion in there power now.

Shiroe signed a document in front of him and signed off on i. There were too many people so another town had to be built. Unfortunately that meant that the large ice pillage needed to be made but they just couldn't keep so many people here and it was just a matter of time before something truly problematic happened.

Either way the town was expanding into the uncharted areas, however no matter how much shiroe wanted to justify this action, he knew it was nothing more than damagecontrol. A necessary evil and that meant people needed to suffer and it was highly possible the people would become violent and it was more than likely that a lot of them would die.

[][][]

It is said that in life only two things are certain, one anything can go wrong will go wrong and that things happen no matter how hard one tries to stop it.

Word had begun to spread between the various kingdoms, not between nobles or even the holy orders, not even the magic users and those that hunted them.

No word had begun to spread from person to person, servants of wealthy merchants whose hearing was near superhuman had over heard their employers speaking of the jewel in the dessert, a land so blessed that should one survive the journey getting therethey would be met by the light of Heaven.

Its said that one can see the colors in the sky for miles and that the air is so cool that its impossible to get overly heated there, yet at the same time, the heat of the sun makes it so warm that there is an abundance of food and everything one can want.

Knights are said to patrol the edges of the kingdom, ever vigilant and amongst them those that have committed crimes and wish to remove their stain and give their life worth, march until the day they are recognized and are lifted up into the ranks.

They say that the roads are so carefully constructed that water flows thru them freely and that one can see children of all kinds playing together, be they Human-Elf or beast man.

They say that several pillars made of ice representing a God stand as testament to their blessing of the Kingdom and its people.

However amongst these words, its said that the surrounding lands are dead and dying, almost as if this kingdom was a glittering light against the darkness.

A land without water, no a land that had been losing all of its water was suddenly blessed with pillars of ice that melt providing the much needed resource. As for the crops they are said to be so sweet, that a small portion is eagerly sought after, the same goes for what little meat is known to have come from there.

What has caught the organizations attention however is the reports of the immortal creatures that live in those lands, Elf -Human and beast man, they are the true rulers of those lands.  
However should one ask about them, few would dare speak ill of them, not because of fear, but rather few have any reason to.

Knights - Priest -Merchant and Commoner alike all agree on a few things, the Adventures have absolutely no interest in ruling anything and are only kept in the kingdom do to the people fearing that should they leave, someone or something might take advantage of their absence and destroy everything.

It was a fear that held a lot of weight, especially in these dark times.

The second thing that was agreed on, was that in their eyes no one was greater than the last, one could be a king and he would be seen on equal footing as a beggar.

One would think this to be a kind of arrogance, however its suspected that they do not see the person, but rather the soul of the individual.

The last thing that is agreed on, is that no one has truly seen their power, for the one occasion that a small portion was demonstrated, it brought the people to their knees.

So like the time before and the one beforethat one, the order sends one of their own to investigate.

[][]

Few could understand the honor and the privilege it is to serve a Guild. Be it as a servant- soldier- merchant- scholar and so on, in fact one could even say that being granted such a position was a miracle in it's self.

They would be right, for every thousand people that worked for an adventurer maybe one would be taken as a servant and even then that was a stretch. Once a person is accepted by that adventurer they are tout to reed- write and any other skill that adventurer knows be it sorcery, wood working and more.  
The same applies to those that serve a guild, however a guild servant is tough y everyone in that guild, rather then just the one.

Of course this applies to himself and the woman in his family, it was strange. ... ... there were no rivals among the adventurers, no that applied to the knights that were trying to join the guilds or had already joined one of the guilds.

It was easy to see what guild was growing both in number and in influence, however that was only in the surface. Infact if one looked closely they would see things were completely different.

Where the Crescent Moon was seen as weak and only good for taking care of children and housing the weak, in reality they had the support of both the people and several guilds.

As for the House of the Horizon, its measly twenty servants had learned that if one word was uttered by the guild, people would listen and things would be done.

The house was strange not overly grown to be something as big as a palace, but to large to simplify be called a house, tho the Guild members refered to it as such.

In the morning, the smell of warm bread greeted a person, it lingered in a strange dance, as it joined the cool taste of the holy waters and warm touch of the dessert wind.

The wood and stone gave of a sense of being inside a lords mansion, while at the same time filling ones self with a sense of pride, for just being able to live in it.

The hall- rooms- bookshelves and chairs were all decorated with archaic runes, along side the figurines of knights and gods alike. Yet strangely enough there were no trophies, no armors taken from the battlefield of the corpses of defeated enemies, no sigils of figures of note of concord houses, none of that, only the emblem and the name of Log Horizon was shown.

One would say this was a sign of weaknesses, yet he thought otherwise. Where others needed to show the mattered, by displaying their accomplishments and there by showing people that it was best not to mess with them.

The House of the Horizon, simply showed its name, no one needed to know that it was a powerful guild, for simply saying its name would instantly silence a room filled with criminals.

Still it was time to get out of bed and start to work.

[][]

All ready scrolls and letters were being brought in, some that needed to be checked for any signs of unwelcomed magic, others were nothing more then simple invitations to far away kingdoms, sent by arrogant lords or greedy merchants.

Already the adventurers were up and about doing this and that, if one didn't pay attention they would have mistaken them for just another group of servants.

He had worked for other people in his life and the experiences were all different, yet one thing remained the same in all of those times. There are two groups the boss and the worker's.

Yet here in this place that division was not gone, but it certainly wasn't pushed... In reality there were no words other than it was home.

There was a plate waiting for him and several of his fellow servants were seated on the table eating. No one said anything, not because they couldn't but for the simple reason they had nothing to talk about.

He ate his meal quietly and when he was done het set out to do his usual work. He swept the front of the guild house and collected whatever exes water might have approach the mansion during the night and gathered the strange ice crystals that didnt ever melt.

He cut as much as he could out of the strange plant that seemed to grow over night, everyday the green vines would grow closer to the houses and so people would cut the strange plant down only for it to grow back every night.

Finally finished with this part of his daily activities, he briefly looks up to see the center pillar and all its beauty. There was talk about one more pillar being created, it would be the last one jewel would have, however its whispered that the adventurers were hesitant to build it.

There was magic in the air, that everyone knew, however its spoken in whispers that something just wasn't right.

Plants grew to quickly, ice lingered when it should melt away, water instantly banished the moment ascertain distance was made between the traveler and jewel.

Barren dirt that broke as one stepped on it gave way to a land filled with bones, the unfortunate souls that died trying to escape the drought.

There were story's they say that the waters extend far beyond jewel, they say they travel for what seem like miles, tru broken dead earth in lines so orderly one could say the waters traveled with a reason. One could even say that the waters themselves were alive.

Still none of this mattered for the adventures kept everyone safe and the lands were plentiful and the waters fresh, so the last pillar had to be built.  
There was even talk that mages wanted to prove that they two could be trusted with the secrets of the waters, that they themselves wanted to build the last pillar.

Even if such an act, would require every single mage in the city.

However such an act could even be called foolish, the first time a pillar was created, the sheer power the adventurers demonstrated was so great that it brought ordinary people down, few were lucky to be brought down to their knees but they were the exception.

He finally brought himself out of the worlds of thought and walked to his destination, a room filled with boxes ,a-1/': were the symbols placed on them and it was up to him to put them in their proper place.

He stopped and remember what his father told him, that drunken fools boasted about how they could defeat an adventurer and keep them dead, no one cared especially since the rooms were usually filled with several adventurers, full-grown or otherwise children.

They didn't seem to mind, in fact they even joined in, saying how they to could do such an act.

However there was something his father told him, it is said that in one occasion one of the adventures had become enraged. His power was so great that the ground he stood on, broke even if the man hadn't taken a single step.

His father told him that the man spoke about the adventures greed and how they boasted about being good, when there were so many people without homes and food, while they themselves lived in luxury.

He said that the adventures hesitation in building the last pillar was an act of rebellion against the gods that had given them power.

Several more things were said until the adventure had had enough, his father didn't dare say what happened next however he did say that the adventure though the man was drunk, at least until he stood next to him.

His father only said that the fury in the adventures eyes was so great that they glowed, whatever he saw the moment he reached the man was so disturbing that the inly words his father said after that was the simple word.

Dust.

This was another reason to finish the construction of the last pillar, however his mind soon returned as the sound of an explosion cought his attention.

He ran outside and found that the last pillar had been built, North- south- East- West and Center.

The five pillars stood and the rainbow grew, like the time before and the times before that, the waters flowed, however something wasnt right, a light connecting each pillar was now seen and rain returned.

It rained for the rest of the day and even through the night, the next day the sun was out and the sight that greeted him was a peculiar one.

There was so much fruit at the entrance of every door that one could eat it all in a week and still not finished it, wine and silver along with it.

The rest of the day was spent marking down who had received what and preparing for something to happen, the words waiting fir the other shoe to drop, was said by several different adventures.

[][]]]

Word of the blessings soon spread and like rats and insects the people came, searching for wealth that didn't exist, searching for a better life or something that they themselves didn't know.

The lost souls of the worthless looking for a meaning a reason to live.

All of this caused the housing problem to only increase and drive the adventures to become even more involved with the city's affairs and that was something they absolutely Hated.

Whatever sense of normality that had been born was now gone, the peace that had come was replaced by uncertainty. Criminals now walked the allies and were being constantly removed by the knights or the adventures themselves.

The refuge town, had become a metropolis of its own, its people more resentful of those with actual houses, yet even they began to flourish. All of the extra hands went into gathering the much needed stone, the material was rare now.

Stone, to think he would live to see the day stone would be so valuable that merchant's would trade gold for it.  
The story's were true, even rock's could be something valuable if the merchant was skilled enough.

Still, rocks touched by the holy waters were something so rare that kings would pay a high price for the stones. Unfortunately every stone was being used to build the houses- roads- waterways and more.

To say that a single rock could be spared was foolish. Especially considering that the farther one got from Jewels the more and more brittle the material became.

Then there was the fact that the stones themselves were keeping the holy waters from spilling out into the dead lands. Few were daring to bring any of the gods curse upon them, for causing the waters to spill and be lost.

So with everything that was going on he somehow found himself here standing in front of Jewels entrance.

He exhaled and reached into a large brown bag he had with him and took out a simple wooden chair, a brown table, a sheet of paper and a pen and ink, the last of the material would be used to write a simple sign.

Oh he almost forgot about the most important thing, a large sheet he took it out and began to write.

Fifty people were all that were needed, but he could go as far as a hundred any more and it would be difficult to keep secret what was about to be done.

Another pillar was going to be built, one that signaled the mark of where another town would be started.  
It needed to be far enough, as for it not to mess with the crops, yet close enough that either town was in any danger they could rely on one another.

There were talks about another pillar being made, one so great that the adventurers would stop making any more, its power would be so strong that it could single-handedly sustain the lands- both towns and all of the magical defenses all on its own.

It would be a last line of defense should anything happen to all of the other pillars.

However the problem remained, the land needed to be checked for any taint of the foul powers and be inspected as to know that under the right circumstances crops could grow and a town could be born.

So here he was, waiting for people to sign up for a chance to venture into the dead lands and unsurprisingly bo one did.

He closed his eyes for a minute by Sigmar it was only a minute, perhaps even less, yet the moment he opened his eyes the younger members of the guild were signing their names.

Among them was the druid of the Crescent Moon a small yet plump girl, she was living proof that there was something more to the alliance between the house of the crescent moon and the house of the horizon.

With them was a woman, tho she dressed like a fool she was none the less an adventurer. She was from the house of the Silver Sword, yet she passed her days among the horizon members, particularly with the knight.

She clung on to him that there was talk among the people that she was in fact the lords future wife, if that was true then she would be one of two for the elven leader of the Crescent Moon could be seen often doing the same, yet in a more reserved way

Infact if both woman found each other near the knight, the would end up bickering about witch one of them he preferred.

The guild members finished signing their name's and agreed to meet up first thing in the morning. There was nothing he could do, after all they were adventures and adventures did whatever they wanted.

Soon however a woman dressed in tight form fitting clothes signed up, Ashley was her name.

Her clothing left little to the imagination, as every curve was marked out, so much so that if he looked closely he could see the outline of...

Several hours passed after that and a young man no older than himself took one look at the sign and wrote his name.

Jake, he was young around twelve or thirteen, short brown hair and a pair of hopeful brown eyes to match. The boy smiled at him and walked away.

He sat there for the longest moment, asking himself if he should erase the boys name, he was to weak for any combat, but fir stone work he looked perfect for the job.

At the end what should have been a group of fifty, turned out to be no more then a group that held three young boys, three girls a full grown adventure and two people he didn't know.

It wasn't ideal but he would make it work after all they were just going to check out some dirt and rocks.

What was the worst that could happen.

[][][]

He woke up far to early for his own liking and began to work he needed to make sure his supplies were all in order and gather up whatever was missing.

The sun wasn't even up, yet he found the children already fully awake, polishing armors and sharpening words.  
Magic bags were being filled with tents and other traveling material.

The room was filled with the sounds of joyful laughter and eager voices the kind he wondered if at one point in life he himself had.

Still there was no time for him to waste, he needed to make sure everything was in order, the dead lands had changed and any remnants of what they once were was now gone.

So as much as he wished an expert would be sent out instead of himself was but a hopeless wish, what good was en expert when there was no real desire to do something.  
So he was sent to go out and look around, while true that the adventurers wanted to build a nother pillar and start the sister town, they didn't dare endanger the people, however the town rulers, its human rulers weren't so kind.

They saw the ever growing problems and exploding crime, so they simply choose to ignore the adventures warnings and look into it anyways. After all nothing would change if no such area was found and if it was, well then a lot of the filth could be dealt with.

Water- shovel- a sword just to be safe- dried food and several different pairs of clothes for when the weather acted up. Of course he had his tent and traveling supplies and finally the last of his supplies a map of jewel and the surrounding area, it wasn't much considering it only had the towns streets, houses and tents all marked out, sure there was the usual land mark but other than that there was nothing of interest

The map also had the roads the merchants took to come and go to and from the town. Plus there was the various farmlands and waterways the people used to drink whenever outside the town.

The only real thing of note were the markings of many fingers of that stretched out into the dead lands, life giving waters that moved about as if with a purpose.

He exhaled it was time to get something to eat and head to the entrance of Jewel, he found a plate waiting for him, his name written on it. The moment he bit into the fried chicken his eyes watered, it was one of the best meal he ever had.

He gave a brief prayer of thanks for the wonderful meal and walked out, it was time for the journey.

[][]

Jewel was as different during the day as it was at night, in fact both early morning and twilight were as different from each other as salt water was from fresh water.

Merchant's and Smith's were just cumming out, the ice was everywhere and respected both the slowly vanishing stars and the red orange color's began to mingle themselves with the threads of power that connected the pillars, before dissolving into the rainbow of power that covered the skies.

Jewel was said to be unique among the realms, not that he would know, he had lived his entire life in one of the many unnamed villages, before the great drought.

Back then all he cared about was that no one noticed him. Now the boy that was his families embarrassment belonged to a guild and everyone looked at him.

The tripe would last at least nine day's, it was supposed to be only a brief thing but he was going to take advantage of it and see just how bad things are, outside of the safety of the magical protection Jewel has.

He finally reached the tents, and noticed that several fruit trees had taken root, bushes that had sweet smelling roses and small berries of all kinds.

Strangely the waters even had some kind of fish swimming about, he saw the people already up and about. The men heading out to work and the woman tending to the homes.

The occasional Knight walked past him, curious to see why a servant of a guild house was in the edges of the city, but nonetheless left him alone.

Finally he reached the entrance to Jewel and noticed that there was an extra person. His hart nearly stopped, dressed in an ancient yet simple knight armor, he carried a shield both as large and as heavy that on its own it could be considered a defensive wall.

His name is Lord Nautsu, a man that desires to see the undergarments of every beautiful woman, as long as they are wearing them of course.  
Gifted with a kind and patient personality, he is always seen with a bright smile, his light peach skin combine with his short spiky light black hair, makes him seem younger then wat he really is.

On his back Tetora clung on to him, her small to hat, short trousers that left her legs so exposed that her if one looked closely they could see the outlines of her behind . Yet her back vest that was placed over her long white shirt, long white knee socks and red boots.

Her long pink hair made her seem as if she was much younger than she truly was, an entertainer of sorts, she can be found casting small spells, using them to entertain children.

Two fully grown adventures decided to tag along.

He could hear the sound of the saliva in his mouth and how it acted like glue keeping his mouth shut. Every step now seemed to make him feel weak everytime he gave it.

This continued until he reached the two and noticed that the rest of the team was already next to the two seniors.

He took a long deep breath and began to speak hoping he didn't insult both the adventures and the two people.

"Alright you all know the mission, we are just to look around the outside of Jewels magical protection and nothing more.  
I wont lie to anyone, we might have to fight of monsters, bandits and hungry animals, so if you want to change your mined now is your chance. "

"We will do introductions as we walk. " he said briefly waiting for anyone to say something, or simply leave, instead bright smiles were all that were given to him.

With nothing els to say or do he simply began to walk, away from any of the wondering waters and in the opposite direction from where the distant kingdoms were said to be.

The rest of his team followed him and if he was perfectly honest, that scared him. The land had changed and he didn't know what was out there.

[][]

For a while no one spoke no because they were to up tight or didn't have anything to say, but rather they were all busy taking in the sights and listening to the world outside the city.

The various unused roads made by the refugees in the time they came to Jewel out of desperation, the paths made by the feet of thousands of people and animals alike.

Now the roads were left abandon, with only the knights and the farmers traveling thru them.

From time to time, they would see theoccasional stray dog, rock lizard and hungry snake. The waters flowed here constantly diving back the dead lands quenching the wheat- corn- tomatoes and various other crops thirst.

It wasn't unusual to see several kinds of fish swimming around and several kinds of birds as well. Of course that meant that whatever ate the animal's was also near, in the distance, trees could be seen and the small specs of people walking around were near them.

A farmer that was headed to inspect the crops on the edge of the farmlands offered to give them a ride in his wagon and they gratefully accepted.

Even before they reached the edge, the air lost its taste, long gone was the cool taste of the holy waters, the songs of the birds and the feeling of being safe.

The moment the wagon stopped was when they saw it, land so dry that no plants lived, there was no water anywhere and the land was covered with the remains of those that failed to reach Jewel.

They gave their thanks to the farmer and entered the lost lands, however there was no way of knowing how they could or would return, so every fifty steps they would stop and hammer in an iron bar into the ground and tie a rope to it.

It would be their guide back home, normally it would take seven days to walk to the edge but the animal pulling the wagon was said to be amongst the fastest in all the realms.

They had only been out of the protection of the magical barrier that the pillars provided and he already wanted to go back.

There was an uneasy silence here, like if someone, something was watching you, even tho its completely flat ground and one can see for miles.

Still no one said anything, they didn't dare to, his guess was they felt the same way he did.  
They walked and hammered the rest of the day, rationing their water until the sun began to set.

The mist began to reach them and with it so did life, plants sprung up lighting the once dead lands with their glowing lights, light green- red- blue and white.  
The mist was welcomed by everyone in the team, however all around then they could hear the animals walking, it was to hot for them during the day, so they hunted at night.

According to the knight's one needed to walk at least three days for anything truly dangerous to appear, the magic in the mist made most evils flee, after those three days the knights simply said it was better to kill the people sentenced to such a fate.

They took turns sleeping three would stay awake allowing the rest to sleep and then they would switch.

That night he dreamt about creatures with white wings that farried the dead away to a paradise that dream was replaced with the image of a vast empire made of pyramids and living skeletons.

A light shove woke him up, it was time for him to stay awake and let the others sleep.

[][]

Malice awoke again the cursed mist entered her kingdom, she had grown to hate them and everything that flourished within them.

She had survived the time before the End Times, lived thru the Age of Myth and the Age of Chaos.

Well maybe not lived, she hadn't been alive for a long time, not since that mad man that devil stole her life along with her people's.

Back then she was nothing more than a lowly nobles daughter, utterly worthless in the courts and to far above the commoners to be one of them.  
She was destined to be nothing more than another concubine of some highborn, she didn't care in fact she was looking forward to it, then she died in an instant.

For years so long they could not be counted she had been nothing more than a skeleton and then one day the mist came and woke her up.  
She was completely alone, she searched desperately for someone anyone, but she was alone.

A wondering skeleton and nothing more, so she began to search for answers looking thru ancient magical tomes, taping into the power of death, hoping that somehow someway she could revive or return to her long gone family.

It was useless, the more magic she gained the stronger was her presence in the realm of the living, yet if she let the power slip, she would find that after a wile she would wake up and be somewhere else.

She would become nothing more than a wondering corps. That scared her more than being what she was.

During the day she would travel to the edge of the realm of life, the paradise where everything everyone was alive and stand there watching waiting for her turn to be allowed in.

At night the mist would come and force her to relive everything, including the time she was sleeping.

Malice wanted to die, but how could one die if they were already dead.

Then she saw them amongst the humans, like the mythical creatures the story's talked about.  
They shined so brightly that if she had had eyes, she would have gone blind. Malicecalled out to them, screaming that they had made a mistake that her soul had been stuck in her dead body, but they never heard her.

One day however for whatever reason several young angels accompanied by two of their seniors and two humans left the realm of the living.

Malice was so exited that she used herpowers to remove the dust from her worn out cloths, casting spells making them look as new as the day she first got them.

She could feel it their light flowed into her, calling her to their side no to his side. The angels sould glowed brighter and brighter, sending pulses of power into both the material and inmaterial .

Malice could feel meat- tendons - blood, all forming bringing her back to life. She now knew her purpose, she was still going to be a lords concubine and to be honest she was looking forward to it.

Every step she gave was a little stronger, her power mixing in with his, she wondered if she could convince him to revive the dead kingdom and if she could bare him many inheritors.

She wondered who her new sisters would be and if they would accept her, or if they would see her as competition.

With her final step she stood next to the knight and kneeled in front of him, swearing her body to him and calling that the she passed was the day she would leave him.

Malice head exploded with the images of a black sky with a small blue orb, an ocean made of both power and stars, city's so vast that they seemed endless.

She thru herself at her destined one and with a kiss filled with the passion of every age she existed in, malice swore she had been granted passage into paradise.

Malice bursted into light vanishing from the realm of the living only leaving the angels and their companions startled of what they had seen.

[][]

The pulse of power was felt thru the earth, sky and seas, the memories of long dead worlds began to dance in the air bursting into starlight.

The wandering dead found themselves filled with the power of paradise and how their skeletal and ghostly forms returned to the way they were before all of the madness, they gave but a single breath of life and bursted into light, vanishing into paradise leaving behind the realm of the living.

The door had been opened and the rain spread throughout the realms cleansing them and even if they failed to do so, they woke long forgotten memories and snatching lost souls, farying them into the realm of memories.

So great was the disturbance that for a brief instance all of the fighting ceased, men - woman- children -plant -animal and even the plants looked to the skies remembering things long forgotten, only for those memories to vanish once again.

In areas long forgotten the dead rose came back to life and bursted into star light, in others for the first time in generation's plants began to grow and sickness was cleanse, injured people found their wounds heald and those that spread decease and pain saw their power hindered.

As for those that relished death, they held a particular hate for what was happening, here before them was a realm of the dead so grand yet they were unable to even touch it.  
Even worse was the fact that, the rulers of said realm actually cherished life.

Why would a euler of death care for life other then allowing it to grow only to spread more death.

As for those that protected the living, they did not see this realm as an ally for it was not apart the eight realms and whatever god lived there it didn't show itself.

Unfortunately for the adventures and the mortals, they had noway of knowing any of this.  
No the only thing the knew was that the world around them was covered in star light.

[][]

It echoedthrough the realms, its sound so deep and hollow that those that heard it could swear they were being dragged into an endless pit.

Life and death had their order whatever it was, yet this new power wasn't alive, yet it wasn't dead either.  
Age only made it stronger and life seemed to make it grow, by no means was it indestructible. No in fact it was infuriatingly frail, yet death somehow made it seem complete.

A living embodiment if the cycle of life and death, yet there was something else there, not quite magic, not quite chaos and not quite starlight.

Whatever it was it was an abomination, there was fertile ground but disease could not would not take root, there were warriors that thrived in battle, lived for the thrill of it but refused to give in to the madness.  
There was abundance of everything, yet whatever its servants were refused to give in fully to any lust or greed.

No, none of this was right, the rain or was it light seemed to remind itself of times long gone, both so distant they might have well as been myth and so painful that no one save the mad ones of chaos would want to remember them.

But that was the thing the light, the rain was re minding itself.

It remembered births of children, the refreshing feeling of drinking cold water in a hot day, it remembered every face ever created and lost.

It remembered.

Thought the mortal realms both mortal and immortal attempted to touch the power and learn to use it, yet they would never be able to, for the power would slip thru their fingers.

A man in the verge of death remembered his daughters birth and the day he first met his wife, before his tear stained face was covered in a bright smile.  
He could see them both calling to him, welcoming him, in an instant starlight left the mans body and he passed on.

On a nother land a dessert was suddenly covered in green vegetation, yet when an animal tried to eat a single leaf, it all bursted out in to light.

This continued throughout the night, day depending on what realm it was, but it was none the less the same, memories were being collected and with them the dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Voice change: Cathy

Her life was boring not in the sense that nothing ever happened, in these times there was always some sort of danger, something wanting to kill you or worse.

Yet for all of life's pain and struggles, she had hardly a memory of anything worth wiled.  
So when her family moved searching for a better life she accompanied them, but either they had chosen the wrong time or fate had some sort of bad hummer.

The prospering lands were difficult to get to and more times than not, her family would see people giving up and turning back, the dead lands were cruel and unforgiving.  
Tings didn't even when they reached the Jewel town, it was being over run by an ever growing multitude of people, so any chance her family might have had in starting a new fife was lost right there and then.

So they did the one thing they could do, they set up a tent and tried to start their new lives, the lights in the sky some how kept the hot sun away and there was plenty of water.

Knights would patrol both the main town and the outside tent village, but competition was high and her family was having trouble earning enough.  
They didn't have to pay any rent for the use of land, but food- medicine and clothing costed money and they needed it.

Then one day a group of children passed telling those that knew how to wright, to write down what needed the most looking into.  
For those that didn't know how to write, the children themselves did it for them and then repeated it to make sure they didn't miss anything.

To see a group of children openly respected and even somehow feared interested her, so when saw them sign up for something she did the same without thinking.

After all if children were doing it, how dangerous could it be. ...

Had she known that they were headed to the dead lands she would have never done something so stupid.

Yet, it had only been the first night and already she had seen a noble woman kiss one of her companion's before bursting in to light and the the dead lands themselves exploding with the light of the stars.

She could hear the wiled animals running around somehow keeping themselves hidden even among all of the specs of light,, yet she could hear the laughter of children flow thru the wind, with it were the distant cries for help and sounds of joy.

Everytime a spec of light touched her she could swear she saw people she had never seen before, memories of times already gone.

She looked at her companions and noticed that the knight, the entertainer and the children could somehow gather the specs and hold them in place, while her other two companion's tried to do so and failed.

Infact whenever one of the Adventurers gave then a spec of light it woul pass thru them, as if they or it weren't really there.

On this night alone she had gathered so many memories and experiences that she could simply sit down and live her life without regret, but the job was for nine days and this had only been the first one.

[][]

No one slept for the rest of the night and in all honesty Cathy wouldn't have dared to do so, even if she had been told to do so.

The sun had begun to rise and with it the many specks of light vanished, yet no one dared to move not because there was any sort of danger, but the fact was that even tho no one said it, their lives now depended on one another.

It had only been the first night and all ready something impossible had occurred. Wether it had been a one time thing didn't matter, they had to expect the unexpected and rely on each other.

"Well do introductions as we walk. " said the boy that had been their leader sofar.  
"If we stay here we will be easy targets but if we keep moving, we can cover more ground and mark how far we manage to get. " the boy continued as he began to set another iron bar into the ground and tied the rope to it.

One by one the all began to follow him.

[][]

They continued to walk in silence , at least she did, bo in fact the only ones that were truly quite were the team leader, the boy that walked be hind her and herself.

As for the the children, no the small adventures, they were busy talking amongst themselves. Whatever it was Cathy couldn't help to ever know, nor did she dare to, if they were truly Adventures then any form of information they held could be used against them.

Cathy had never seen an Adventurer so she didn't know how they looked like, all she knew was that angering one was something only a fool did.  
She knew that despite the town leaders loudly boasting that they ruled Jewel, the Adventures were the true rulers, a simple word was all it took and Jewel was in their control.

Cathy didn't dare approach then any more then she had to, less the difference in customs cause some sort of confusion and she find herself at the pointy side of one of their swords or worse.

She briefly looked back and noticed that the boy behind her was looking straight at the ground, for a moment Cathy though he was looking at her but, yet she noticed that he clearly didn't care about her at all.

"What are you doing." Cathy asked the boy.

"The dirt its wrong, well not wrong but its not right either. I have been keeping a close eye on our footprints ever since we left the safety of the town and the footprints aren't wright. " the boy said.

"What do you mean.?" asked their team leader, from all the way in front of the group.

At that moment Cathy noticed that the others had stopped talking and the way they walked somehow showed that they were listening to every word the boy said.

"Outside the town the ground is moist and we can see that as we walk we leave behind some wet footprints, but the more and more we get away from the town the strange the land gets."

"Stop for a second lift up your foot, see how the ground is wet, bring your foot down and lift it up again." the boy said and Cathy did like he said.

Cathy's eyes couldn't understand what they were seeing, one moment the ground was wet, the next it was dry. She did this again and again and noticed the results were the same, wet -dry-wet-dry.

"Some sort of evil is in these lands, we should turn back." the boy said.

"No, you agreed to nine days, we will stay out here for four and on the fifth we turn around. The knights patrol these lands, I know that because I needed to know what to expect, so I asked them directly.

"We are only walking two more days then they usually do, Im not as arrogant as to believe that we can survive in a place even they don't dare to enter. " said their leader and employer.

"My name. Is Michael, servant of the Adventures Guild known as Log Horizon and as a servant of said guild, I can not stain their reputation by leading the group I formed without their approval, to die out here in the dead lands." Michael said finally introducing himself.

"Guess Ill go next. " said the boy behind Cathy.

"My name is Lucky, Im afraid that I don't have a name as the rest of you, so yeah I named myself. I am a dirt expert in training and I hope to learn what I can about the difference in magic and nutrients in lands so different from each other." Lucky introduce himself.

Finally it was her turn. "My name is Cathy and I am but the daughter of jack he works in the mines collecting the stones used to build the town. " Cathy introduce herself and she felt Lucky hit her shoulder so hard the sound of his hand hitting her made a loud smack sound.

"Ah the second generation, your father must be proud. Tell me will you join your father in the mines, or do you plan to continue to be a land inspector after we're done with this job. " Lucky said to her.

"Indeed I did not expect someone that lived in the tents to be amongst the mine workers and much less choose to carry on her father's work in helping expand the town.  
Your family must be one who's honor and tightly bound together that you can rely on one another." added Michael, his words sounded like he was congratulating her.

Cathy had known that work in the mines was rare, for the stones used in the construction of the town were special. So it stood to reason that the lands were the mines were located would be heavily guarded and workers checked so as the wouldn't somehow damage the mines.

Her father had been lucky to geta spot on the working force, but to think that for that reason she would be seen as if she was someone, who was inheriting something special a job a burden that instantly made those around her, respect her.

Cathy didn't say anything she just continued to walk.

[][]

Lucky

He followed closely but couldn't help but lag behind, the dirt here was wrong at one moment it was fertile and filled with life, the next it was dead, dust carried by the wind.

He had sighed up solely for the fact that the sign said . **Looking for People togo and check the soil in the dead lands**.

Now he was regretting it, the farther they got from Jewel the greater the feeling of them being watched and as soon as the sun set they would reach the edge the area where not even the patrol goes into, the knights didn't even dare take prisoner's pass that point.

The effects of the mist were getting weaker, he knew this because of the draining feeling, something was stealing his strength and it wasn't the hot sun.

The Adventures the little ones at least seemed content with talking amongst themselves, something about an Ogre King and Summer Festival.

Lucky didnt understand there were no ogres here, at least he didn't think so. The older two seemed to be in a world of their own, Lucky knew a Political Marriage when he saw one.

Yet the knight and the mage seemed to like each others company and by the way the woman rode on the knights back, they were very intimate.

However every time he lagged behind, every time someone misstepped, Lucky saw their ears twitch.  
They were aware of everything, more times than one had Lucky see, wat looked like a wand, or a sword being drawn.

It was getting late and they hadn't rested in the slightest, yet wen the heat was about to get to them a forest long dead was seen and with out so much as a word they all hurridly entered it.

The trees were strange, almost as if they had tried to run away from something, but ultimately failed, there surrounded by the figures of trees with twisted barks they made camp and awaited the coldness of the night.

[][]

The night was different now, there were some sparks of light, but they were few and far between, the mist barely reached this area and whatever wind carried it was hollow.

There was no cold, no feeling of the escaping heat that was replaced by a quickly enveloping cold.

They should not be here.

The trees were different and Lucky knew that something was definitely wrong, here and there there were dead trees surrounding a larg circle where small bundles of seeds were located.

Lucky knew this because the area they had made camp had at least eight seeds in it.

Michael took three he claimed it was for research and Lucky and the girl, he forgot her name kept the rest.

The children had gone and collected some more, before the older two told them to stay close.

Still, they didnt dare start a fire, fir some reason the sounds of the animals were now few and far between and Lucky had no doubt that the more they walked they would be completely gone.

Still the soil here was perfect for building a settlement, as long as it was heavily defended, again they took turns going to sleep and keeping watch.  
This time however they did it two at a time, that night Lucky slept but he didn't rest, something was taking his strength.

For two more days they walked until Michael decided they had walked far enough and decided to turn back, as they walked Lucky swore that the path seemed longer, that each step took longer and it was only the ropes that kept them from getting lost, it was only until they reached the edge of the forest and near the blanket of the mist, that the feeling stopped.

Lucky knew that Michael had felt and seen the same and that was why he had decided to turn around.

[][]

Lucky listened and he listened well, he listened to the birds, to the water flow and to the sounds of the wind, it was a peculiar thing reentering Jewels boarders, he noticed the first time but now, now he could swear no he was certain of it.

The barrier had taken something from him, no it was like it had graved all of the taint and striped it from him.

A slight tug in his pocket made him pause, he could swear he felt something move, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the strange seeds.

For a moment Lucky wondered what would happen if he cracked them open, but rejected the idea, so he just thru them into the nearby water. Lucky was certain that the magic in the water would destroy whatever taint the seeds had or just destroy the seeds, ether way they weren't his problem anymore.

Eight silvers and two gold, a good pay fir just walking around, after all they had done no work however Lucky swore he felt the wind change like if his fate had somehow been altered.

Still Lucky decided to get a drink.

Honesty she was glad that it was over she took her few silvers and her gold and said her goodbyes Cathy swore to herself that she wouldn't do something so stupid again.

She hurried home and found her worried mother hanging the clothes out to dry, her mother took her in a deep hug and eagerlyasked about her adventure.

Yet when she heard about the seeds she had brought back, she made Cathy get rid of them.

The feeling was off, not evil in any way but off, like her fate had been sealed at that moment.

Still she wasn't going to do any more adventuring and swore to stay home, the days of Cathy the adventure were over.

Michael had a head ache he had informed the council and had his ear nearly blown out with a of their screaming.

As it turned out, they had sent scouts out and found that the only place good enough to expand/get rid of people, was the dead forest he had found and the mountains they had hid in and the adventures had laid claim to those mountains so they were out of the question.

One place was covered in stone and it would be used to continue the mining, another was covered in so many dead bodies that it was better to burry them and turn the area into a cemetery, the worst one was the area chosen by the adventures for something.

So that left the forest and it was at the edge of some sort of sinister power, still the fact that they could walk twi days apart in every direction was a bonus.

The decision was made right there and then, the town would lay out the foundations and build outside the barrier, keeping the crops safe while getting rid of so many unwanted people.

The night mist would keep them safe after all.

Michael walked, he w as going to go to his room when he heard them.

"So they handled themselves like professionals?" Shiroe said.

"Yeah, but they need a lot of training." answered Naotsugue.

"Accompany them in their next mission, it wont be for a while, but trust me its coming." Shiroe said.

"Still to think that so many people without experience would go out into those lands, anyway if Michael and his team want to became explorers we should give them some combat training." Naitsugue said to Shiroe, who inturn just smiled.

Michael's hart nearly stopped, they had misunderstood and had now made plans for him and the other two.

Michael just ran and locked himself in his room, the moment he heard the lock he brock down crying.

[][]

A week passed after that and honestly nothing had changed much the only real difference was that, new forms of work had come out of the hole situation.

One was that of grave digger and along with it, those that did the funeral rights, there by protecting the persons soul and body from corruption.

Which ever religion or belief opened up it own business for it, even if it was just a simple tent.

More people went to work in the mines and others took to helping both expanding the water ways and maintaining them. Priest and those with any form of magical knowledge, laid prayers and carved protective runes onto the weird stone, hoping to add just another layer of protection.

People found that as the diggers and engravers worked, they could simply take their products to them and there by earn a profit before any of the workers even approach Jewel.

There was a lot of arguing considering that the way the Adventures had dealt with the spill of water was to build a giant circle made of weird stone around Jewel and if someone opened a pice of it the blessed water could be lost.

So it was decided that the first connection to the main town would be built but it would only open, when construction was halfway done.

Others went to building two new circles one around the very limits where the mist stopped and the other completely encircled the dead forest.

This expansion didn't go un noticed however, even though it was to simply reduce the over grown population and provide everyone with more room.

The inner town that had enjoyed a growing and increasing market now had to compete with the new merchants on the outside.  
This wasn't a problem at first considering that everyone went to the inside to be near the pillars, now however, people seemed to head straight for the water.

The kingdom's themselves had finally had enough and decided to see what the fuss was about, so a single representive was sent, just to see if going there was safe.

[][]

The air around Jewel had changed and for once people weren't sure if it was a good thing, there was a feeling in the air one that was both filled with anticipation, fir some reason everyone swore that something wonderful was going to happen.

Yet no one knew what it was, it was like their very beings were announcing this, during the week a simple letter had been spoken to everyone in town.

Supposedly a good friend of the adventures was coming and they wanted everyone to make them feel at ease.

That was it a simple letter, nothing more however what was left unsaid both filled everyone with a sense of fear and excitement.  
The fear had been ignored, after all the adventures never did anything without a good reason and nearly everything they did ended up benefiting everyone, if not immediately, then certainly in the ling run.

So among the whispers - the murmurs and the every day gossip, the sound of a carriage being pulled by horses could be heard in the distance.  
A long with it the marching sounds of footsteps, few could notice it but distant sound of hammers and shovels that was now common on the outside of the town had briefly stoped.

The only thing that remained was the marching sound, long the horse drawn carriage.

The men for a brief moment took of their hats in a sign of respect to whoever rode within it, never in their lives would they have believed that for a brief moment it would stop and a small window would open revealing a fair maiden with silver hair that waved back at them, before the carriage began to move again.

Farmers attending to their crops and being helped by strange creatures that looked as if they were made of a living tree bowed their heads, the little tree children looked confused not knowing what was happening, yet seeing the farmers bow they themselves imitated the act.

This brought a smile to the people inside the carriage, as well as to the knights guarding them.

Finally they reached the tents, however they did not stop at it, for at the entrance were a group of friends of theirs waiting for them.

They passes the tents and its assortment of people, it was easy to see that even tho life was hard for them it wasn't impossible.

The knight captain and his patrol had encountered the travelers the moment they had reached the borders and seeing both the signatures and the seals of each of the Adventures Houses he had no choice but to escort whoever it was, safely in to Jewel.

The knights handled themselves as professional and didn't bother making any small talk with any of his own men, they showed discipline with every step they took.

The carriage door opened and a man with short blond hair- light peach skin, he wore spectacles and a large heavy armor.

Alarm bells rang in the Knight Captains head, even amongst the Adventures it was said that if an adventurer wore glasses, one should be careful he is not being manipulated.  
It was like a brightly colored serpent, its color's warning people not to anger it, the spectacles seemed to do the same.

After him a pair of maids stepped out and stretched out their hands, helping the most beautiful woman he had ever seen step out of the carriage.

She had long gray, no it was a kind of blue long hair- peach skin and a thin figure, yet her gentle grey blue eyes were wat spoke most to him.

An unspoken word was heard by everyone in town.

 **Royalty**.

"Welcome princess" Shiroe said, yet the way he spoke wasnt filled with fear or any form of noticeable respect, no it was like he was speaking to an acquaintance.

The House of the Horizon was all present, as well as that of the Crescent moon and even the other houses, however the knight captain could see that something was off, yet even he could not figure out what it was.

"Princess!" Tetora said completely destroyingthe mood.  
"So did you get my letter. " Tetora said with a bright smile on her face.

"Yes, but I must say I am confused. Yourletter said that you had a child and I received one from Maryelle saying the same thing  
Yet both letters said Lord Naotsugu was the father, yet I see the three of you standing here without a care in the world." The princessanswered Tetora.

Tetora suddenly grew a wide smile and reached inter her blouse and took out a small tree like child, Maryelle did the same but she had been holding the child in her hands the entire time.

A surprised expression passed over the princess if only for a moment, strangely enough her eyes seemed to harden.

"Has any of you ever had children or has children at the moment?" the princess said to her escorting guard and a single man steeped forward.

"Good, please teach everything you can to Lord Naotsugu about how one acts around their children, make sure he understands that something shouldn't be tought to infants. " the princess ordered the Knight and the man simply bowed acknowledging the order.

As the knight captain watched, he saw something that confused him, it was a smile that passed over the princess and the two woman.  
It wasn't one used by acquaintances or one used by someone in higher society to someone in a lower status.

No it was the smile of a friend given toanother.

[][]

It was but a moment, yet still the knight captain allowed himself to take in the sight and allow his mind to drift.  
It was the strangest of all things, granted he nor his men were present when the town had been first created, yet still they held a deep bond to it.

When they marched thru the dead lands securing the borders seeing the colors in the sky, that can only be seen when one looked a certain angle at night.  
He remembered how good the water felt everytime he took a drink and how it seemed to give him straight, not just physically but it was like its cold, yet warm touch strengthened his soul.

He had been present when the building's began to take the new shapes and seem as if they were mearly placed on top of one another.

He had seen the building's of the walls and the creation of both the tent town and now he was seeing the town grow into a small city.

Back in the kingdom he was nobody, his men were so disposable that they had been sent on a mission, that made sure that if they simply disobeyed an order, they would be marked as traitors.

So as he saw the princess whose name still ignored, take into her arms the small wooden form of the adventures child, he couldn't help but feel as this land, this town had truly become his home.

The knight captain didn't know if his men felt the same, no he knew what they felt, it was written all over their faces every time they returned to town or stayed for a single week longer then they normally woul.

They were home and if they could, they would fight to stay in it.

As the princess and her escorts began to walk deeper into the town, the knight captain ordered his men to stop, the adventures were with the princess, meaning that if she or her knights tried anything, they would easily be dealt with.

"Get a scout and have him inform the prison division to return to jewel.  
Have the ones that are being punished due several laps around the border before returning to town.

Get the lower dogs to watch them do so. As for the filth, send my apologies to the guard, they are to stay at the edge of the border." the knight captain ordered his men to send out his orders, to the scouting groups.

Things had changed somewhat in his position, his small force now had people that either wanted to join the guard or simply wanted a reason to live.

They were called Dogs, because they were just that innocent and criminal alike were in it and they were given a training so brutal few of them would ever complete it.

The next batch were the Filth, in all honesty he would have preferred to simply hang these people.  
No they weren't people, whatever they were less then human or animal, he would call them shit but even shit fertilized the dirt.  
They were less then shit, thats why they were kept in the edge of the dead lands, before the dead lands became the dessert.

In that cursed place, simply giving a single step and walking forward was a nightmare, the land stretched itself almost as it it was pulling you in.

His men trained there and that was the reason, the carried entire barrels of water, the holy liquid drove back whatever evil was in those lands.  
Yet still they had to be vigilante, for a single person could easily walk into the desert unknowingly.

His men trained with ropes, thats how none of them had been lost, altho the water did drive of the effects of the cursed lands, they were settle and if they weren't careful they could easily fall victim to them.

Already several prisoner's were nearly lost and many even begged for death, the cursed lands cut deep in to their minds and if a person looked closely the moment they drank the water, a person could swear they saw a black smoke leave the bodys of the prisoner's.

Still the knight captain allowed himself to take in the sights and remembered that a festival was being held, a thank you for the good fortune, to whatever god he didn't care.  
In all honesty he doubted there was a single one, but several.

Colorful banners were being hung, decorations covered the houses and special foods were being made.

" _Perhaps this was the reason the princess had come. Still her presence confirmed a suspicion he had, there was a realm gate in the mountains, that the adventurers had laid claim to.  
It was the only place the princess could have come from, either that or there was a castle in the mountains._

 _It was vital information, unfortunately the group he had sent the letter with, was attacked by monsters_." the knight captain though to himself, as he continued to take in the sights.

[][]

The knight captain watched as people put on colorful tight full body suits and strange hats along with plain looking masks that were either smiling or crying.

They danced around to the strange sounds of music, before stopping and doing it again, they wanted to make sure their act was just right.

He watched as children imitated the knight's training perhaps some would become the next generation of guards men, but then he noticed that amongst the boys, there was a blond blue eyed boy, whose matter of speech was most commonly found amongst nobility.

"Tell us a story. " one of the children said.  
"Come on, you're an adventurer."a nother added.

This confirmed his suspicions the boy everyone called Rudy a member of the house of the horizon, an adventurer.

"Alright this is one Master Naotsugue told me" Rudy said and the knight captain had to admit, he was curious, so he listened.

"They stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, they held their sword- axe's - Wwarhammer's- bows and arrows.

The sun was gone and the only thing that gave any light, were the firers of the street lights.  
Everyone was quite they knew they were going to die." Rudy said briefly pausing letting the words he said sink in.

The boy reached into his pocket and took out a pair of gold coins and acted as he was holding onto a locket, one which he opened and smiled as he looked at the picture it held.

"... First of all let me say that it has been both an honer and a privilege to have trained and fought along side all of you. " the boy said as he used his magic staff, to light up his face, all the while moving it back and forth, making it difficult to get a good look at him.

"They say that today the world ends, that , that is the reason the sun has vanished.

[][]

The boy stops and looks at the two coins and closes them and immediately puts the locket into his pocket.

"Maybe it is maybe its not. I ask of you to remember how it felt, to hold your baby boy and your baby girl in your arms for the first time.  
How it felt to hold onto your lover and the first time you stepped into the training ground."

"...I'm not asking you to forgive our attackers, they dont deserve it. In this time of need, wen we all should join together and stand as one, they choose to attack us instead." Rudy said, as the small shades of ice began to form behind him signaling that it was about to get dark.

"No, I ask of you to remember our heroes, remember the men who held the flag up even as death rained down upon them, making sure it never touched the ground.  
All the while, their captured brothers aboard the enemy ship's, prayed to God to not let that flag fall.

Two hundred direct hits, yet it still flew. "

"I ask of you to remember the silent step, that with a single shot, ended the war and along with it ended and empire and gave birth to a nation. "

The many colorful lights brought in for the festival were turned on and combined with the the light of the torches that were the street lights, along side the boys magic staff that moved back and forth, created a feeling of uncertainty.

The knight captain noticed that a young woman was now standing next to him, nex to her was an older woman, no doubt the children's mothers and sisters, it was getting late after all.

"If the sun has truly gone out, then we just have to hold until it lights back up. An impossible task you say, no.

Remember the demon invasion for everyone of us there were a hundred of them, yet we held the line.  
Did we break under the weight of the vampires and their undead armies, that poisoned our waters and turned our fallen brothers against us. "

"No we held the line. "

"Wen the world broke and every castle fell into ruins and the people were driven to madness.  
Did we break, no we held the line and pushed back the madness, allowing our people to rebuild."

"The hour is dark, yes, but we will survive. Just like the time before and after and after that one.  
Now there a lot of monsters out therewanting a good fight, what do you boys say, we give it to them. " Rudy lifted up his staff and slammed it on the ground, the booming sound made some of the children jump, yet there was one that stood there wide eyes, like if he was looking at a hero.

[][]

The woman noticing that Rudy had stopped talking, began to take the children hands, some found who they were looking for immediately, while others had to call out the children's names.

"Did they win?" the little boy asked.

Rudy for his part simply gave the boy a gentle smile and said "Yes, they fought for days, even as their lights went out, one by one.  
But when everything seemed lost, the sun finally light up, and lights fell from the sky. Where the lights turned a warier stood. " Rudy said to the boy.

The boy gasped "The adventures." the boy said, his voice in ahh, before his mother took his hand and walked him home.

Rudy smiled and headed back into the deeper areas of the town, it seemed it was time for him to sleep as well.  
The only people out now where those cleaning up, or those tending to their displays, other than that it was only the night patrol.

As it became darker the knight captain could hear how his armored books echoed in the quickly emptying streets.

Clank- clank- clank.

The knight captain stopped, it was faint but the sound of metal clashing could be heard and with it the distinct smell of blood.

He began to move carful not to make to much noise and then he saw it, there being washed away by the waters was the stain of blood.

A trail left behind was just barely visible, no longer caring for his presence to be known, the knight captain ran, hoping to catch ether the victim or the attacker.

The blood stopped but there was nothing there, no body- no screams- no murderer and no witnesses.

The sound of something moving on the roof of a nearby house cought his attention, but it was pointless to chase after it.  
Whoever it was, knew how to cover his tracks.

"Why now, Jewel was always a peaceful place, regardless of the incidents of the peoples desperation.  
So why now?" the knight captain thought to himself.

Slowly his eyes widened, as he came to the realization. "The festival" he said to himself.

It was pointless to attack the Adventures, they were to powerful, however the people weren't.  
All it took was one act, arrows- poison - even a small strick force and the security the people felt would be lost.

He turned around and found an adventurer standing behind him, it was Shiroes personal guard.  
She placed a figure on her lips, signalling him to stay quiet and reached into her pocket and handed him, the sigel of her house.

He looked at it for a moment, but when he looked us she was gone.

"It seems I've just been recruited."the knight captain said to himself.

[][]

The next morning was strangely quiet from the nearby roofs people could be seen hanging banners, some displaying angelic figures wearing gold armor, others were simply simple flags with no designs, they were meant jut to look good.

The sun had barely come up and all ready Jewel was alive and active.

Figurines of all kinds were shown everywhere a childs toy could be sold and with them all kinds of sweets.  
Merchants had begun to arrive, spilling out into the mist filled regions.

So great was their number that even the workers, that dug and laid the stones for the waterways could see them.  
The merchants did this, as their confidence in the protection of the mist was all to apparent.

Extravagant tents provided the much needed shade.

Yet underneath all of this, the knight captain could see quick exchanges of gold and silver. The speed in witch this was done, showed that his guard were dealing with professionals.

More times then one, his men had cought someone emptying a brightly colored liquid in to the flowing waters.  
Everytime it had been some form of flavored drink, nothing harmful, yet the knight captain knew this was all just a ruse.

The day had just started and his men were already in high alert.

A slight tap on his leg made him look down and the knight captain saw Akatsuki, Lord Shiroes personal guard standing next to him.

He nearly jumped at the sight of her, somehow the small woman could hide her presence so well he couldn't even smell her perfume, at least until she made her self known.

"There are people causing trouble." Akatsuki said, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"It seems that problems from the past have comeback and with them new ones.  
You and your men may not have noticed but underneath this town there are a group of tunnels.

The sewers were made using them, unfortunately we seem to have cought the attention of something." she said giving for more information then wat was being said.

They looked at each other, a wordless exchange but a deep one none the less.

"How many." the knight captain asked finally breaking the silence.

"There are two groups, one is the one that brought all of the fruit and gifts.  
The other we know little about, what we do know is that both are as dependent of the waters as we are.

Unfortunately ." she continued, before he cut her off.

"One is perfectly happy with how things are and the other wants us gone, or wants to control the waters. " the knight captain said.

"But why would they act now? This would be the worst time. " the knight captain said.

"My Lord and several others suspect that someone or something is encouraging them to do so. "Akatsuki answered him.

The sounds of various small bells ringing cought his attention and the knight captain suddenly knew everyone, down from the smallest child, to the eldest of seniors was now a suspect.

[][]

An uneasy silence set in between them, as the bells of various merchants and dancers moved about joyfully.

The knight captain tried to digest all of the information, yet his mind always returned to the same possibilities, not they weren't possibilities they were theories.

"Should we moved to a more private area?" The knight captain asked.

"That would be pointless, they are already active and aware we know about them." Akatsuki answered him.

"... I see. Miss Akatsuki I know I speack out of line when I ask of you why did the adventures allow the princess." The knight captain stoped halfway through his question realizing the answer.

It made perfect sense, one the princess has come completely un anounce, or this was a political moved to secure trade and strengthen relationships between her kingdom and the town.

This made the prevention of any kind of problem that will undoubtedly rise his and his men's main priority.

He briefly noticed that his small companion had realized he had drawn his own conclusion and was waiting for him to continue.

"Is there anything els that I must know?" He asked her.

"Yes, make sure that your men don't cause to much truble, tho we are in high alert. Most people here are either merchants or people that want to have fun." Akatsuki said before vanishing into thin air.

A screech made him look up if only for a moment, a griffin flying in the sky and along side it a pegasus.

Two animals known by the people of jewel to be controlled by the adventures.

Elsewhere

A man walked into a city an old abandoned place, the buildings that once streched high into the sky were now breaking under their own weight.

The city was once a place where trade and learning was abundant, yet a course caused its people to wither out and die.  
Those were the lucky few, others became walking corpses or worse yet their souls were trapped inside a magic glass that was exclusive to the people that ruled the city.

The man reached into his bag and took a large bottle filled with water, even now the bottles contents protected him, as a light mist protected his body.

He opened the bottle and took a deep drink, fully aware that if his action was sensed he would desire to never exist.

With his drink done and with a prayer in his lips he poured the bottles contents onto the ground.  
When the last drop fell he turned and ran, yet he didn't even reached two steps when he felt it.

The sensation was similar to that of a heart beat, then another and another, when the third was felt an unholy how echoed all around him and in an instant he saw it.

It started with one, and like a flood lights lifted themselves into the sky vanishing from sight.

Another how stronger and filled with rage echoed and he felt his very being shake, but he was alive.

The man ran knowing that the water he drank wouldn't keep him safe for much longer, he never botherd to turn back and for that reason he missed a young woman dressed in exotic clothing waving goodbye to him.

[][]

[][][]  
Speech change

The hot sun was nearly unbareble, yet he soldiered thru, along the way he encountered a large carriband headed towards the town.

According to them they were the late arrivals, drinks were provided seeing that everyone was needed to carry their own weight and no one wanted to be under the people of jewels eyes, because they left someone behind.

It seemed like the towns reputation had spread.

However that was on only half of the group, the other half was a mixture of the old - sic - injured and dying.  
Husbands - wives and desperate children hopping that the stories about the water's were not just that, stories.

They walked for several days until they could see the various lights in the sky and it was only then when the strange mist reached them.

It was an odd feeling, if he had to compare it to something, it would be similar to that of going up a mountain when the dessert heat had become to much to handle.

Still he could not deny the reality of what his eyes saw, they had yet to reach the town and already an elderly woman, who had to be carried was up and about triying to make herself useful and her worried grandchild chasing after her, begging her to take it easy.

A man who had his body nearly completely burned had to be tied down when his burnes began to itch so much he pealed his own skin of.

For a witch hunter seeing such things wasn't uncommon and rarely were they anything good in the long run.

The sight of the pillars and the rainbow of lights that connects them all showed that they were close to entering the town.

It would be several hours before they could do so however, yet the sounds of hammering, digging and animals growling cought his attention.

In the distance he could see several men working on something, yet he did not know what it was.

The sight that greated them was one he didn't expect, tents and banners of all kinds were shown proudly, some of whitch from kingdom's that had long since died, do to the drought.

From anyone's point of view they were nothing more then colors to make the place more lovely and add to the colors for the festival.

Yet it was the way they were arranged that caught his attention, one fallen kingdom's colors, along with those of their allies to the left, another kingdom's and their allies to the right and so on.

Yet the carriband had only reached the very edges of the town, it seems that jewel had been infiltrated perhaps from the very beginning, yet people were always welcomed, whomever the town's leader's are, are either incompetent or so over worked they that yet to notice the devision within their own town.

[][]

The people stoped and began to set up shop, they brought out their various trinkets, food and whatever perishables they had on them, as well as the many blankets and jewelry they brought.

Imidiatly the leader's of the various merchants went to to present themselves to the town's leader's and he followed, yet what be found troubled him.

The various crops were unusealy large, the water despite being surrounded by dirt- animal droppings - fallen leaves and discarded objetcs, remained criscal clear and smeled perfectly clean.

The tents were undoubtedly the slums yet even they had various plants growing next to them, not only that the people in them looked as if the sun's heat was of no issue.  
The useal dark skin or red face, that came from being under the sun wasn't uncommon , yet it certainly wasn't the norm.

There were woman and children with buckets full of water giving people something to drink, yet water was everywhere.

He noticed that behind him and the men that he followed were all of the sic -elderly and disabled people that had come with them.

Along side them various scholars and they walked about either ritting what they saw as they tried to copy the many designs that were all over the ground and water ways or they talked to the people about whatever they studied.

The walls somehow had water going up and down and he noticed that in the distance several priests laid prayer to one God or another depending on the pillar.

He had been warned about the elves and beastmen that were common in the town, yet he found himself more than once reaching for his sword or pistal and he had to show more restraint then he ever thought possible.

[][]

He stoped for a brief moment and decided to walk around and take in the sights, after all there wasn't any reason to rush, he would meet the town's leader's soon enough.

Oddly enough his clothes weren't recognized, whitch hunters had a reputation about them and for that reason people tended to stay away from them.  
Tho considering that the people here lived in the edges of civilization and even when there were kingdom's around, no one particularly cared about them.

The reason was simple, they were kingdom's in name only, their only wealth was a few gold mines and crops, whatever political power they had was minimal at best and their armies, well all one had to do was look at the town's defense force to know just how many they numbered.

Still it was odd, seeing everything children of different kinds mingling together. From what the organisation's spys had said there were elven children running around with human and beast children as equals.  
Not only that but none of them worshipped any particular God and if they did no one knew it's or their name.

Still his eyes cought sight of the various runes carved into the stones that made up the town, and he noticed that in order to do whatever they did, they had been carved onto a combination of wierd stone and natural occurring rock.

There were butcher shops here and there yet he couldn't figure out where the animal were, sure the various farms had them, but the land that was fertile was un eaven. So how dis these people feed their livestock?

Still he decided to look a little more and noticed that the temperature seemed to change whomever he passed under one of the light's connecting to the pillars.

For briefest of moments his eyes locked with those of a small girl, who wore a strange flowered dress, that seemed more tide around here than anything else.  
Yet it was her strong gaze that intrigued him and her long purple hair convined with her light colored skin, made her look exotic.

Perhaps she was from one of the dead kingdom's?

Still their eyes met only for a moment and the instant a group of people passed between them, she was gone.

It seems that he was now being watched, if this was a good thing or not would show itself later.

However he didn't dowel on the situation, right now he was only observing and even if he somehow managed to leave the town alive, if something did happen, from what little he had seen there would be little he could do to stop anyone near the town.

A strange sight greeted him as he approached the area where one of the pillars stood, a small girl with long black hair wearing a long white dress, was happily dipping her feet in the water that the ice pillar had around it.

Her deep black eyes were odd, but she none the less gave him a warm smile when she noticed him looking at her and he did the same.

No dought she must be the daughter of someone in the town.

Yet as he walked deeper into the town he noticed that the architectural of the buildings changed, unlike the area where the tents were the area he had just left was opened to let the light of the sun in, the next are had its building so close together it was simple to walk on top of them.

Not only that, the buildings seemed to be built to each have a purpose, no doubt the main market.

He walked only a few steps when a light tap on his shoulder cought his attention, he turned and noticed a knight standing near him.

"Papers" the knight said.

There was no reason to argue or put up a fight after all the man was just doing his job, still he had shown disrespect to someone in the organisation and couldn't be tolerated.

In the span that took a person to blink he found himself thrown into the nearby wall of a certain shop, the pistal he had drawn had fallen to the ground, long after he hit the wall.

His bones felt as if they were made of dried wood and with every passing second he swore they would break.

"So want to explain why were you going to kill one of our guard." A man said to him, yet try as he might he couldn't see who it was, all he could see were two burning yellow flames.

"To tuch a member of the organisation is a crime punishable by death and he did so." He strugled to answer.  
"My name is Sir. Mathieu of the Witch Hunters and if you kill me then the organisation will bring its might against this town" he said and truthfully he was at the verge of screaming in pain.

"Your order has no power here and if I let you go, it's only because we don't want to have to kill anyone.  
So don't do it again." The man said before dropping him and walking away.

[][]

The sound of armored boots getting closer cought his attention, yet he hardly cared the combination of pain and disorienting feeling of being flung like a rag doll had taken their toll on him.

"You really have bad luck, to get one of then to attack you. Anyway, Mathieu I'm going to need your papers, any form of investigation as well as trade must be properly documented within this town." The knight who had tapped his shoulder said, as he spoke down to him in an amused manner.

It was odd but he found him self drinking whatever water passed near his lips, it was almost as his instincts had taken over.  
For someone such as himself to literally be kissing the ground, was beyond shameful, yet the more he drank the more his body and mind felt relieved.

A light grunt escaped his mouth as he reached into his bag and showed the knight his documents.  
To be looked down upon felt disgusting and humiliating, yet the knight simply looked at the documents and knotted.

"I see, so you were sent out here to investigate any wrong doings by the people. Well the only things that cause truble around here are the wiled animals, still you should report imidiatly to the main house." The knight said to him.

He struggled to get up, yet he found that despite the pain his body responded allitle bit faster then it should have.

Almost as if reading his mind the knight spoke again. "Stop drinking the water, what you are feeling is every scar and injury you ever received be heald.  
Heck I'm sure you even feel lighter, so much so that moving is an issue, a step or to wide, perhaps."

" Where is the main house?" He asked.

"Just follow the line of people with document's, they will lead you there." The knight answered him, as he returned his papers back to him and walked away.

Mathieu looked down examining his clothes and exhaled, it seems he would have to deal with walking around wearing, wet armor and wet cloths.

[][]

The line was helleshly long and more then once had he been tempted to simply walk away, still this needed to be done and so that meant he had wait.

Still he had a job to do, so he chose to simply listen. The sounds he heard were mostly merchants selling their products and people conversing with one another, they the sounds of hooves and wheels turning was more then evident.

Finally it was his turn and from what he saw an elf was receiving the papers, he handed his documents to the man and the man read them, he pushed his spectacles closer to his eyes and handed him a stamp note, that said he was approved to perform his investigation, with limited power.

That last part irritated him, yet he could simply ignore it and say that the letter did not specify what plummeted power was.

Still he had waisted to much time, he needed information about the town's layouts and what places the people could and couldn't go, plus whatever information there was from the area sorrounding the town.

After he managed to get whatever he could, he would search for one of his contacts and move on from there.

He saw a sight that brought an un intentional smile to his face, a low level knight from the gold engagement on his eight sholder he was a captain.  
A low level one at that, most likely his mansion back in the Empire was nothing more then a simple shack, with a few servants.

That was the most likely reason he was here, one of the ones the politicianscould do without.

The people of Jewel might not have a reason to fear a witch hunter, but the knight and his men did. After all their families were not safe from the organisation's reach.

"You there tell me about what is in the outside of the town, what lies away from it." He said in a commanding voice.

The knights eyes widened for a moment before he recomposed himself.

"And to whome will I be giving this information to Witch Hunter?" The knight captain asked.

"That would be " he answered.

"I suppose you will want the standard places, very well, tho why you didn't reed the signs is beyond me." The knight captain said before taking a deep breath.

"The sorrounding dead lands are devided like this, you will need to write this down... there is around nine to twelve days of green if you head down the direction where the water dlows, it's in that area where you will find the majority of the crops and live stock.

It's no surprise that the constant flow of water keeps the plants growing."

"Near it however at the edges is the cementary, several religions have set up shop near it.  
They perform the last rights according to their beliefs, the dead lands are covered with the corpses of those that failed to reach the town

That is the reason the entire section is one massive grave yard."

"From the direction you came from is the Empire and the remaining kingdoms."

"Finally there is the dead forest that is where the town is expanding to. However rather than waist resources in circleling the entire area between the new town and Jewel, the people decided to simple create a road leading to the new one.

The land in between would be paved and settled once the forest was completely incircled."

"Beyond all of that except where the Empire is, there is the dessert, if you follow the water you will find an opening where our suwars end and you can imagine the rest.

No one lives out there so who cares."

"Also there is a huge mountain close to there, stay away from it various animals live there. The place is a perfect shelter from the sun."

As for the town don't go down the alleys at night, we don't want to pull you out because you got yourself stuck in a drinking contest." The knight captain finally finished his explanation.

"Much appreciated." was all he said before he walked away, still it was faint but it was there. The knight was hesitant about something either he paused more than one, or he spoke far to quickly.

Either way it was more than obvious the man was attempting to hide something.

He needed to find one of his contacts.

[][]

A simple red stone building, with a large blue sighn that had the words Sowing written on it and a picture of a ball of string attached to a needle underneath it.

He pushed the large black wood door in and heard the sound of a small bell ring, instilantly Mathieu felt himself snees the entire place was covered in strings, strings of all colors- sizes and thickness. Along with them, dresses- trausers and gowns hung by wires on the ceiling.

Yet despite the room being full, it all had a certain order to it, the colors were a ranged in a way pleasing to the eyes and the cloths that hung, almost seemed as if they were always meant to be there.

"Coming." The voice of an old man greated him, somehow it seemed as if the man voice carried his body.

Mathieu felt the wooden door leave his grip and close behind him, the sounds of the bells could be heard from within the shop, yet they seemed to give an a red boost to the atmosphere within the building.

A small girl emerged from somewhere and looked at him, she had long black hair and a laced dress that seemed to get more and puffy as it one looked down.

"Are you here to pick up?" She asked her smile her leaving her face. Her cream colored skin along with her deep black eyes and hair somehow made her a noble while she wore her red colerd puffy laced dress.

"No, I'm here looking for a man named Rafael. Mathieu answered her.

" Grandpa is working right now and be working until this afternoon. So want to come back later or do you want me to weight down a message." She asked him.

"Simply he him Matheiu is here looking for him. He will know who I am." He told he, the and ran off, in the distance after a door closed Mathieu could hear her say.

"Grandpa a crazy person is looking for you."

"This must be the luxury of living away from truly civilized people, no one knows who they should respect behind closed doors."Mathieu thought to himself.

It didn't take long before foot steps began to draw nearer by the moments and what seemed like a minute an old man was standing in front of him.

A simple with dress shirt, as for pants a nothing more then blue jeans similar to those miners wear.

"You are late, now where are the rest of yah." The old man said, his thin but strong body suggested battle experience, tho his elderly face showed he was near the end of his life.

"Its just me, I'm here to see what's going on." He answered the old man.

"A war that's what. The adventurers have been keeping it away ever since they first showed up, but things are different now.  
People ain't leaving and those that leave take barrels full of water.

How long do you think is you g to take before someone wants it all to themselves." The old man said.

"Tell me why do you think this?" He asked.

"Simple, the adventurers are up at night here and there, you can't see them but you know they're there.

Things are moving from place to place on their own, a person would leave a cart next to him and turn for a moment and when he turns back the carts gone. It will show up somewhere else."

"Their is talked about purple or blue people seen walking around, they have hoved feet with long ears. Them the nice ones, you've seen the adventurers, you know they can be mutants two.

But there is another group, something ain't right about them. No one know what it is, but they seem to hate us, unlike the pointy ear ones, they just plain cruel." The old man said stoling only to catch his breath.

"None of that proves that their is a war comming." Mathieu answered the man.

"Something been making cracks in the water ways. Everyone knows the waters flow where ever they dam please, but someone been forcing the stones to breaker and spill it." The old man said.

"Isn't that why they're people working outside of the town?" Mathieu asked him.

"No, to many people not enough room. Adventures and the council decided to expand so they could build a nother wall and for the people to not be living so tightly together." The old man answered him.

" Any idea where the culprits might be hiding?" Mathieu asked the old man.

The old man paused for a moment to rhink before he answered.

" The mountain' a long way from here tho, but no where else, dessert does weird things to people, but get in deep enough and you will never know something happened." The old man said before stoping completly.

"I see." Was all that Mathieu said, before tiping his long black hat and walking back out of the shop leaving the old man behind.

[][]

"Cracks in the water ways." Mathieu said to himself as he left the store.

From what he knew Jewel was a town built around a particular type of blessed water, it's properties were known to many, so much so in fact that people were devided in two because of it.

Those that belived it and made their way to the town just to be healed or have some evil removed. The people that had come to town with him proved it, in fact they were so desperate that they risked falling dead somewhere, for a small chance that the stories were in fact true.

He of course belonged to the later, originally.

He believed that some sorcerers were up to no good and were just healing people for some reason or another. Yet after experiencing the effects of the waters himself, he was forced to be live the stories.

Like a fool he stood in the middle of the road and took out a small water bottle he carried with him and he kneels down and filled it with the oddly clean water.

He looked at the small water bottle and felt his heart nearly stop, there as a light mist began to envelope the water bottle he saw a lightly placed form of ice, ice that almost resembled black clear glass.

"Nagash." Mathieu said almost instinctively.

No the ruler of the dead didn't rule here but his presence was none the less there, yet at the same time it was denied. Almost as if some sort of power similar to his own was here on this land.

His mind remembered the old man's words the water flow where they dam well please, but someone has been breaking the stones.

The words themselves contradicted each other, if the water flows wherever it pleases then of what importance was the stone.

He looked at the designs carved into the road and recognized several of them, they were wards against corruption and plague, yet others were depictions of ancient battles and some he plainly didnt know.

"The stones keep the waters safe from corruption and the waters keep the people safe." Mathieu said as he looked at the ground.

Mathieu suddenly felt as if he had a small piece of the puzzle. There wasn't enough water anyone that saw the land could see it plain as day, somehow whatever had caused the drought had been bolted here.

Yet if by some reason whatever kept the water clean were to disappear and the water were to vanish or become to weak...

Realizing he must look like a mad man he got up and began to walk, officially the festival would begin tomorrow.

One could find out more about a town and it's people by doing the one thing most d idnt do, simply get some poor fool drunk and listen to their idiocy. Amongst all of the stupidly spoken words truths would slip out and it was those he had to hear.

Another way was to simply ask children.

Mathieu felt his stomach move, he hasn't eaten in a while, it seemed it was try some of this places food.

A small in, no not an in a small shop that sold food. A restaurant? No it couldn't be that only nobles ate at restaurants, those places were much to fancy for the common fok.

Mathieu almost felt disgust at the sight of a small girl with cat ears serving the clients, yet he remembered that mutants were a common thing here, even if they were beast men, they were surprisingly human in appearance and character.

Atleast that's what the reports said.

He listens to the usual chatter and realized that something was a miss, amongst the many loud voices he heard several merchants saying that someone had emptied their water barrels.

Barrels they had filled with the town's special water, whoever the culprits were, they had targeted only the ones with the special water.

It seemed that jewels people didn't want to have their water stolen, no that wasn't it he had seen people filling entire barrels in wagons and leaving.

In fact that was a common sight.

The realization hit him, they were merchants and the people that took the barrels did so openly, these men however had his their actions.  
What the people of this town d idnt like was that someone used their water for profit, something that was free for everyone would be made exclusive to only a few.

He ate his meal in silence and listens to the world around him, the cat girl brought him a thick stew that had a particular taste. For the briefest of moments Mathieu smiled remembering how his mother cooked.

Finally he ordered a drink and waited for night to arrive, with the many merchants and people getting prepared, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary if he was seen walking around at night.

[][]

Beams of strange blue light were sent into the sky, interconnecting in such a way, that one could almost call them a net.

It was dark now, the only people out and about should be the guards and a few drinks.

The temperature lowers significantly here and a strange form of ice seems to cover the buildings and streets.

He could hear an infant criying in the distance and what sounds like a woman singing him to sleep.

The ice cracks and breaks with every step he makes, yet somehow it reforms almost instantly every time he lifts up his boot.

He walks and appreciates the quiet night, the town really was a wonder, nobles would pay highly just to live here, but from what he had seen the locals had little care for gold.

The sounds of whispering catch his ear and he reaches for his pistol, he moves as quietly as the damm cracking ice let's him. His eyes catch a glimpse of several candles placed near a pillar, next to them a bow of fruit and a woman kneeling praying.

Several children are with her, they do their best to follow the woman's example, yet just as children are known to do, they can't help but get bored of such things. So they began to play and chase after one another.

A sword was suddenly placed on his neck, it had only been his training that prevented him from reacting and slicing his own neck on the sharp blade.

It wasn't the sword that had surprised him, no such things happened more times then he could count it came with the job. No what surprised him, was the way he hadn't sensed any danger, that meant that this was only for show and get him to obey.

Yet still, someone had been able to sneak up on him and had they wanted to, they could have killed him.

"Drop it." Said a male voice, one he recognized, yet he knew that the owner of said voice was not the one holding the sword next to his neck.

No that honor belonged to a small girl, that dwass dressed in an odd stile tight form fitting cloths.

"To threaten a Whitch hunter is a serous offense." He said.

The man just chuckled until he let out a small laugh, careful not disturb the woman praying.

"Your order means nothing to her kind whitch hunter, put the pistol down so we can talk." The knight captain said.

He reluctantly did so.

"See that wasn't so hard, so why were you going yo shoot at someone who was praying?" The knight captain asked.

"Why would someone pray at this hour?" He asked.

The knight captain exhaled as if expecting his question. "They can't stay out in the sun for , so they live bellow in the tunnels. You've seen doors that go down here and there, we they go down"

"Don't go down there without an escort, we're expanding the town so even they haven't marked the new tunnels yet." The knight captain answered him, tho he barely gave a true explenation.

"So they live underground?" He asked.

"Yeah, we first ran into them when we investigated several things showing up at people's doors. Turns out that they were thanking us, they protect us from things that move bellow and we protect them from things that move up here." The knight captain answered him.

"Why are you really here whitch hunter?" The knight captain asked him.

" I would be glad to give you an explanation, if your friend here would remove her sword." He answered the knight captain.

Slowly the small girl removed her sword and walked away. He was about to stop her when the knight captain stopped him.

"Don't, she may not look like it but she's one of the most dangerous adventurers around." The knight captain sasi, like if his word were supposed to hold some kind of significant meaning.

"Adventurers are nothing but mercenarys -outlaws and merchants." He said tho for some reason he felt as if he had spoken wrongly about something.

"Are they? or did we take the words and leave the true meaning behind?" The knight captain said as he piled up the pistol and handed it back to him.

Tho the knight captain d idnt elaborate on his words, he did give more then most would catch up on. The adventurers here weren't just highly skilled mages and swordsman, but something more, something unnatural.

"Walk with me." The knight captain said and he did so, not because the man said so but rather he had no reason to deny the man's petition.

They walked thru the town and he found that as they walked only his boots broke the ice, the knight captain however d idnt.

"This expansion is more dangerous than many care to believe, it's the entire reason why this festival is even being allowed to happen... To allow people to relax and enjoy things in case things go wrong."

"If the town fails to grow then there will be to many people and alot of people will be sujected to the heat of the dead lands. Not much to worry right, the mist will keep them safe.

Wrong tell me did you see any animals or grass on your way here? Did you see people? No this expansion will place a lan in the sand and should it fail our defenceswill fall with it and whatever is causing the drought will be allowed to pass." The knight captain said.

"Why are you telling me this?" He asked the knight captain, tho he already knew.

"Sombody has been toying to sabotage it, the adventures haven't told anyone this, but why else would the stones that protect the water way be broken where they shouldn't break.

The ones bellow speak of hands that reach thru the dirt until they throw water on them and they stop moving. He'll they live underground and they refuse to dig unless the dirt is splashed with water, dozens of skeletons are being found day after day"

"So much so that there is no way that these many people lived in this near of an area. The mist acts as a shield, but when the wind blows whispers can be heard, few know of this but the farther one gets into the dessert the more they age, until they are not but dust." The knight captain said.

" How do we know the town isn't causing this and acting as the lands savior just to gain power?" He said tho truthfully he didn't belive what he had said, still even the most farfetched possebileties couldn't be ignored.

"The adventurers have no reason to gain more power, they don't care for it. In fact they want to leave or simply live their lives, it's the people that keep forcing them to stay." The knight captain said, as he looked at the ice that seemed to move on it's own.

"... Something's coming witch hunter, I don't like you and I don't like the fact that you're here... but by Sigmar we're going to need your help. I only wish you monsters never return to this town ever again." The knight captain told him.

The man was foolish to say such words out loud, anyone else would have killed him because of it.

Anyone else would have dealt with him for his arrogance, it was a good thing he wasn't anyone else for he could see in the distance a tiny figure looking straight at them.

It seemed as the small girl had been keeping an eye on them and the moment she sensed his I'll intent, she allowed her self to be seen.

Yes this town was interesting.

[][]

Mathieu watched as the knight captain walked away, his purpose for speaking to him now complete, the man had no reason to even be near him and by the man's movement he didn't want to be anywhere near him.

For a brief moment he stood there looking at the town and wondered how can a place have so many mysteries in such a short time.

Again he remembered the notes and the documents sent to him by the organization.

The town was made by various kingdoms or at least what remained of them, plus the savages and small villages that had come together out of desperation.

He remembered the various Gods the people worshipped and recalled that the Adventures worshipped none of them. Perhaps it was old age or he had simply been a witch hunter for to long, but the people here seemed to treate the adventures as Devine beings.

He mentally went thru every page and found something interesting, the pattern, everything revolved around the pillars, pillars that didn't exist before...

He found himself walking almost mechanically, until he stood in front of one of the pillars, he noticed how the waters seemed to carefully leaves the object's side.

He reached out and touched the cold peace of ice and to his surprise he was proven wrong. He had suspected that some sort of power was manipulating the people and using their energy to sustain itself.

Yet the power he felt, was more of a kind to that of a person exhaling, meaning that the power was giving and didn't take. There was no exaustion or any form of weakness, in fact he could swear he felt younger.

His mind remains as suspicious as ever and he hadn't changed in his form of thought, so mental manipulation was out.

There was nothing in the food, despite how well prepared and full of flavor it was. So perhaps it wasn't the town itself or any of the object's in it, from what he had seen the various marks, were all dedicated to fending off evil and keeping the town- the waters and the people safe.

So that only left three things the people those above and those bellow, the animals, something could have infected an animal and had begun to spread and finally his mind drifted to the outside.

Something or someone wanted the town destroyed, if not destroyed then it wanted it's power for it's self.

He quickly eliminated any form of deceas, the waters here would instantly cure or destroy it.

From what he had heard, those bellow either wanted the power for themselves or wanted to destroy the town. Conflicting stories, considering that the ones bellow had gifted food to the people and walked around the town at night.

... That only left an outside threat. ...

He placed his hand upon his forehead and wished he could just burn down everithing and be done with it.

A line had been drawn and the sand could not pass, so if the line was destroyed the sand would kill them all.

Mathieu sat down and let his thoughts grow, there was no way any kingdom could lay claim to the town. The people here would rather destroy it, then let it's power fall to the wrong hands.

The destruction of the barrels that the merchants had were proof of it.

Then there were the adventures they were as part of the town itself as they are seperat from it.

Like a distant parent that has to let it's children make mistakes, in order for them to grow as people.

From what both the documents said and his interaction with the people, the adventurers had shown up during some form of disaster- helped with the problems people had and were going to leave after everithing had been stable.

Only that for some reason or another, they were forced to stay... It was most likely guilt, the people must have used the feeling of guilt to force the adventures to stay put and help both the town and the people grow.

However from what he understood, the adventures had seen this coming or had thought of a solution and this lead to their distance from the people.

A measure that helped the people live withought ever having to rely on them and now that the town was expanding, when the expansion was complet, they would leave.

Even if the people tried to stop them.

He needed more information, to much made sense, yet at the same time it didnt... perhaps he needed to look bellow and see who dewelled within the tunnels.

Still he needed to sleep so he simply layed down and closed his eyes, no one would dare kill near a pillar of that he was certain, his blood could contaminate the water.

[][]

Elsewhere

There was a sensation in the air, it wasn't evil nor was it good in any shape or manner, rather it was in interesting, almost as if it was both apart and separate from everithing.

The smell of decay came with it, yet for some reason or a nother it seemed alive, like a fungus that decays a still living person.

A plague had come and for what seemed like a minute, many within the town's guard thought that they might have to burn the very people they bad been sworn to protect.

However a woman dressed in white came, she wore but a simple gown and covered her eyes with a simple cloth.

She offered to deal with the plauge, if in exchange she would be allowed to light a fire and tend to it, so that it never go out.

She explained that the fire was meant to die in time, but it would only remain for the time it was needed.

Candles burned away at the balls of puss that covered the people, while a strange water was poured on them, somehow this both cleansed those inflicted with the plague and completely restored them to health.

The woman asked to see the dead and the dieing, including the cementary, again she poured water on all of them and if one looked closely, they could swear they saw something move inside the dead, before it to died.

The graves shook only slightly, almost as if thanking her, for returning them back to rest.

Finally she light her fire and people swore that for a moment a black sun light the sky and next to it a white moon hung high.

Yet this was only for a moment, for both images vanished destroyed when water was poured into the fire.

The woman smiled- turned and walked away, her job had been done, even as she walked a man stood watching her. Someone who the guard had never seen before, he did not move, not even as the woman walked right past him.

However the moment the woman reached five steps away he spoke.

" The dead, do not belong to you. He will reclaim what belongs to him."

The woman relaxed and somehow the guard knew she was smiling even tho ahe had her back turned to them.

"How? He can not reach us, nor can he see us. Those that belong to him, will go to him, yet those that want or have earned their place will go to us." The woman said, as she simply banished from sight.

The man did not move, but he to banished from where he stood

Tho the guard would not speak of it and if they ever did, they would only claim that the Maiden and the Lord of death had buiseted them and had left empty handed.

[]]]

Mathieu woke to find himself laying in a pool of water, a golden star hung in the sky, yet he felt no fear or uncertainty. This was obiusly a dream, nothing to be worried about.

All of a sudden the world moved on its own and he found the he was now face down in the watter, yet he felt no shortness of breath or the desperate feeling that acompnied, being denied of air.

He saw a world, no several kingdom's being overwhelmed by goblins- orks and Daemons of all kinds. His eyes saw the people sacrificing their human forms and turning themselves in to a type of beast man.

Yet despite elves- human's and beast man convined they could not turn the tide, each kingdom was overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Every death experiences by the enemy, was meaningless, for they simply rose once again.

Great champions rose to defend the people and despite their near God like power they could not stop the enemy, great victories were wine, but they came with an equally high price.

Finally in an act of desperation, the people gathered every mage and those that could see in to the realm of souls and called out for aid.

If their Gods had abandoned them, then perhaps another would take pity on them.

Mathieu, smiled as he saw the lights rain down from the heavens and warriors emerge, each capable of defeating an entire army alone.

He saw them fall and rise for death meant nothing to them. He bore whitnes to legends so great, that if he were to ever speak of them, he would be called insane and promptly be dealt with.

He saw them fight of against the demon king, in the ice palace at the edge of the world. There by setting free the ancient phoenix, that in turn sent them to revive the great dragon that came from a time long forgotten.

He saw them face of against, the rulers of the sea and the twisted creatures that now lived in it.  
How the ocean became coated in blood, with the sheer numbers, of the creatures they had to kill.

The world moved again and he was now standing, he stood at a greate hall surrounded by children and adults. He saw the sky turn red and blood rain down from it and a mad God, joyfully declare his dominion over their world.

He saw them rise to the occasion and battle their way thru demonic and near God like guardians.

The world moved again and wide eyes and gasping for air Mathieu awoke, to the sounds of children playing.

[][]

Mathieu knew instantly that he was still dreaming, there was no conceivable way that he would be otherwise. Not unless Sigmar had forsaken him and tossed him into the warp.

He saw towering masses of flesh- machine-living and not, charge at a fortress and the people within the fortress fire their strange muskets, cutting away at the abominations.

However, the abominations cared not.

More and more the charged at the doress, as their twisted masters laughed at the sight of the screaming defenders, the look of terror and the men's screams somehow invigorated the creatures.

Mathieu felt a cold chill run down his spine and he saw one of the creatures masters look directly at him.

Mathieu felt his breath cought within his chess and found himself completely unable to speak, much less scream.

A hand reached out to him and Mathieu found himself standing bear a simple fir, the world was dark.

No the world had ended.

This place was but a memory, a place where everithing that was gathers and leaves it's mark for whatever feature generation to learn from them.

Next to him Mathieu saw a woman dressed in white, pouring water onto the fire. The water put out the flames but not the embers.

She was dressed in white and use cloth to cover her sokets, even tho the only real light was the embers, Mathieu could clearly see the woman had no eyes.

She smiled and spoke.  
"You shouldn't be hear. I can't see you but I can sense you and so have others, unlike me. Many don't have your best interest... I know you may think it's your duty or what you must do, but Gods must kill Gods and champions must carve the way.

Don't venture to far deep or else you won't help anybody and in fact you might doom them all. " the woman spoke and Mathieu felt his heart nearly stop.

The world had changed again.[](]

[][]

Mathieu found himself standing in a room that held nothing, no that wasn't right the ticking sounds of several clocks could be heard at a distance.

All of a sudden a creature that looked like some sort of gorilla stood in front of hi.

"Are you here to cause problems?" The creature asked.

Mathieu reached for his sword, yet he stopped himself for the creature had not attacked even tho it was but a step away from him.

The creature was about the size of two full grown men, however it's body showed that it was pure muscle.

"No." Mathieu answered the creature.

"Come with me." The creature ordered him, yet even as the creature gave it's first step, Mathieu had seen his soroundings change.

"The intention to comply is all that's required, therefore even if you don't move, you will follow." The creature said.

"Tell me if all of this was a dream, then how do you know what you did not know befor? Yet you are nother awake, nor are you asleep." The creature said.

Mathieu thought about it for a moment but failed to answere, no it was more like he knew the answer but refused to speak it.

"The answer is simple, someone wants you to know." The creature said as they passed by a city where the animals had killed all of the Humans.

"Listen boy for we do not have much time, beware your eyes. We have kept you safe but even we have our limits, the enemy senses you and your untrained eye.

Stay clear of things you do not fully understand for if you don't, then you will dome all." The creature said as a fireball made of lightning struck at a massive hand reaching into the world.

Mathieu awoke, to the sounds of bells and spices, mixed in with the fresh sent of water. He knew instantly that he was truly in the waking world.

[]][]

Mathieu sat there for a moment gathering his thought, was it a vision or did something play tricks with his mind.

The light sound of water being scooped out by something reached his ears, not surprising everithing here seemed to revolve around the water...

"Here" she voice of a small girl reached his ears and Mathieu saw that it was the same girl he had seen the day before playing near one of the pillars.

She was handing him a tin cup filled with water. The girls long black hair nearly touched the ground and her deep black eyes nearly seemed like pearls.

Mathieu took the cup and drank it all in one gulp, he needed the drink.

" If you sleep near them, you get nightmares." The girl said as she pointed at the pillar.

"What do you mean?" Mathieu asked her.

"No one knows why but, everyone dreams of fights that never happened. Mommy says not to sleep near the pillars, but I dont ever have any dreams not even when I take my naps." She answerd him.

Mathieu looked at the girl for a moment, so the dreams were a common thing. No if what the girl said was teue, then they were like visions of a time passed, perhaps of this land or another.

The sounds of wings flapping in the sky made Mathieu look up and he noticed several gryphons flying in the sky.

They circled around and chased after one another before flying towards the direction of the distant mountains. The way they moved was almost like the animals were dancing.

Mathieu looked down only to see that in his moment of distraction, the small girl had chased after a group of children who happily talked with one another.

He needed to see what was inside the mountains, however first he needed to see the lands underground and talk to another of his informants.

Mathieu listened to the town and tried to focus on each of the ever growing sounds, he did this so as to distinguish each noise, a kettle hitting a pot, a merchant announcing he was open for business and several preachers saying morning prayers.

"You there quit standing around." A man yelled at Mathieu as he made had jestures signalling him to follow.

Mathieu would have just ignored the man had he not noticed the odd garments the man wore. So with nothing better to do he did what the man asked/ordered, simply to calm his curiosety.

"Good I was worried you wouldn't listen. Listen you look like you don't have a lot to do right now, so how about you help us down at the cementary.

Hold up, I know what your thinking, but all you have to do is stand around and Waite for the stone builders to mark the land. No digging- no fighting- just stand there and signal the workers where to put the stone." The man said as he made hand gestures like if he was building something.

"I'm busy right now." Mathieu said to the man.

The man's expression became serious and his eyes seemed to almost hurry themselves into Mathieu.

" The place you have to stand in and look after, is at the edge of the cementary..."The man's words hung in the ai, he was telling Mathieu something.

They walked in silance, last all of the sounds of merchans- laughing children and angry animals, until they arrived at a maze made of decorate stones, each displaying a name and the time when people were born and died.

Mathieu noticed that the amount of graves that were unmarked for outnumbered those that were marked.

Finally they arrived at the edge of the cementary and Mathieu knew why the man had called him here.

Dozens of skeletons called their way to the top of a wall that only went straight up, until it stopped directly where he stood. However they seemed to vanish every time the dripping water came in contact with them.

"They're growing in number witch hunter, soon we won't be able to keep this hidden from the Adventurers and much less the empire." The old man said.

"Explain."Mathieu ordered.

"What's there to explain, the dead walk the cursed lands and the water keeps the dammed away." The old man said.

"Except that isn't happening now, no something's changed ." The old man said as the sounds of bones hitting each other began to fill the nearly quiet graveyard.

"What about the bodies in the graves?"Mathieu asked/demanded.

The old man simply smiled.

"Don't have to worry about those, the waters keep them down until there's nothing left of them." The old man said as he pointed at small lines of water that seemed to be going up and entering the graves.

"What do you know about those down bellow?" Mathieu asked the old man.

"Not much they keep to themselves. They can't come up during the day and no one wants to go down there. They stay on their side, we stay in ours." The old man said.

"Where is all of the water going." Mathieu asked .

"Who knows, no one has ever seen where it stops." The old man answered.

"Where do the Adventurers comefrom?" Mathieu asked.

The old man pointed at the direction the mountains were.

"One of two things, they come from there or there's a realm gate located at the mountains." The old man answered.

"Anyway I have to get back to work, the Sri e and the workers will be here soon, just point and they will start working." The old man said as he turned around and walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

[][][]

Speech change

One by one they gathered, if they were going to create a giant pillar of ice, withough alerting people to the fact that the adventurers had infact left the town, right now was that moment.

The festival was about to begin, so priests and holy men had begun to say their prayers and so on.

Right now everyone was buisy fineshing whatever they had to do, so that their small stalls-shops and atractions would be completly set up, for when the prayers ended.

Only a small number of adventurers remained and they stayed behind only to protect the princess.

One by one each adventurer launched an explosion of ice and water, those that could cast spells used their magjc, while otheres exchaneged their enchanted weaponry after using it.

Every blast of water was instantly frozen in place, this continued until none of them could continue to use their powere atleast for a few minuts.

However the moment they were all rested and their magical abilities were restored, howerver limited they mayhave been they all repeated rhe process.

The location they chose was the farthest reach of the origenal river that ran past the town and it was for this reason that this pillar would be unic.

Unlike the other pillars that were inside the town or in the case of the one that had been built insecret inside the caves, this pillar had no base to prevent rhe water from filtering underground.

This meant that more than half of the water and ice was being taken by the land irself.

However that meant little, as the magical energy's quicly dampend the ground and filled the air with moisture, the sorounding areas temperature began to drop, until it was aplesant cold.

The hot sun was still incredibly hot, however the dealands wouldnt be so dead anymore.

With every attack water spilled into the river as not all of it could be instantly frozen, at girst it was only a light trace of moo, soon the ground was to wet to contain the water and the river began to fill.

It happened slowly atfirst, however soon water began to spill with the force of every attck, becoming stronger as every attack launched only aded to the power behind it.

However the river quickly dried up as it was a condiderable distance and the adventures found themselves loosing more and more of their power as they all either began to run out of weaponry or their magjc was simply exaused.

Finally when the last of their number fell exausted and could nolonger use one of his spells, did their task finally take shape.

The pillars within the town conected with their larger counterpart.

The results were nearly instantaneous, with the sounds of thunder the beams of light conected and the native magic of the world mixed in with the adventurers own, until the very pillars themselves created their own unic blend of power.

The river suddenly began to fill so rapidly and with such force that anyone and anything would be sweped away. Containing something like this was all but impossible.

All atound the adventurers could see, early morning/evening plants spring up and quicly close the moment the felt the sun, they did this repetedly almost as if confused by the change in climate.

As the rainbow lights inthe sky grew so did the power behind the waters, they quicly spilled into openings that no one had evwr seen before and would most likely never know about.

Deadland far into the distance felt somehow refreshed as lands below began with moisture.

From high chasms the waters spilled into the lands below bathing anithing that might be using them as shelter from the heat.

The lands where the dead were found in the millions began to be washed away until the bodies underneath were exposed if they were high enough to the surface.  
Thosed to deep under the earth were slowly incased in a ice box, that slowly changed their forms.

In the town,, the water rose to the hight of peoples ancles for a moment, tho no one truly cared as many simply saw this as a sighn of whatever gods they worshiped, blessing them.

It was for this reason that no one noticed that it was the waterways magical protection that prevented the town from being washed away by the flooding waters.

Slowly the waters rose but did not destroy anithing, near the town, however the moment the waters found the edge of Jewel they quicly spilled with such force that they tore the very ground itself..

Dead- filth- starving animals and more were washed away never to be seen again, some would have their forms changed by the magic of the waters.

Others would no doubt drown and become food for whatever starving creature might encounter them. Still some would live on and become stronger for they had survived.

As for the adventures themselves they simply smiled at their work, tho no one said anything, they all knew that the next pillar they would build would infact be the last.

An adventurer, can not and will not be bound to anithing, it just their nature, so the people needed to do things themselves.

It was for this reason that people knew what the adventures did and who they wore, but were actively encourage to deal with situations themselves.

[][][]

[Speech change]

Mathieu watched as the ground began to shacke and threaten to bring him to the ground, as the waters tore their way thru the very walls that kept the undead away.

Still he held his groumd and remained on his feet as the grpund shook and he saw the waters was away the undead with the strenght of the current.

"By the Gods."someone said behind him.

When he turned around Mathieu saw rhat several men along with animals, carriying shovels and stones had arrived.

No doubt the workers he was told to waite for.

The men were looking at the sky and none of the animals dared to move, as they looked at the sky.

Mathieu looked up to see what exactly they were looking at and saw that the lights in the sky were shaking, like if something had place such a strain on them that they threatened to completly breack.

The lights flickered with an increasing motion that seemed as if they were about to completly banish, until they did.

For what felt like an eternity no one present spoke, nither man nor beast made a sound, but somehow that seemed even worse.

Even tho it had only been two maybe five seconds, Mathieu felt as if something truly horrible had happened, the importance of the lights had dawned on him and if they vanished... he didn't want to imagine what had ocoured.

Then with the force of thunder the lights returned with a power that seemed, as if fueld with vengance.

Beighter and brighter they became untilexploding outward into the deadlands, even tho the lights traveled in one direction the effects were occourring in every area.

Already Mathieu could feel his instincts kiking in, he had to move and hide less whatever was ocouring lay eyes apon him.

Yet try as he might to get his body to move, something made him feel as if it was already to late.

A how of rage echoed as if some unholy beeing had been denied its due.

From the distance lights had begun to rise as if the wind that touched the distant lands, was causing a chain of events.


	4. Chapter 4

Faster and faster the wind blew, threatening to tear the very ground itself into the sky, the area where Mathieu stood was completely unaffected.

The skies rumbled with an in worldly energy, not commonly seen, except for when one called upon the strongest of spells.

For the briefest of moments, however, fleeing it may have been, Mathieu swore he saw several pyramids in the distance.

The fact that he could see them and the fact that they even seemed to look almost transparent, made Mathieu realize the sheer size of the structures.

The land itself trembled as if it knew something had happened and that if it didn't act now, such a thing would never occur again.

Suddenly like a bolt of lightning, a flash of light broke through the mountains and connected to the lights, that seemed to join the pillars together.

Mathieu knew at that moment what exactly that meant, tho he doubted he would even be able to approach the mountains anymore.

There was a pillar hidden somewhere inside the mountain itself and for whatever reason, its power wanted, no, demanded to join the others.

However, for whatever reason, the light began to, dim before vanishing once again.

"Get the markers ready!" A man ordered the others with him, releasing them from their stopper.

"All of you can see it, the Gods are with us." He said as the men began to mark the edges of the canyon.

The man's face was covered in dirt and sweat, yet for whatever reason, no Mathieu knew the reason why the man didn't show any signs of exhaustion.

The man looked at him nodded and smiled at his men, as they placed the markers where a wall was meant to be placed.

The men worked quickly and for what seemed like only a minute, they were done with their task.

"Thank you for waiting, you should get back too, the festival will officially begin soon." the man said, to Mathieu, as his men walked back to town before he too turned and joined them.

Mathieu watched as the men left and as he gave his first step, he noticed that his foot had broken something.  
Kneeling down to look at what it was, he noticed that it was a small ice crystal.

Mathieu felt his head begin to spin and the image of a dark room came to him, no it wasn't a room, it was a tunnel.

He barely managed to look around him, when the world turned back into the cemetery he was standing in.

His destination was now clear, he needed to see those below.

[Speech change Lucky ]

Lucky was in a good mood, something had caused the matters to grow no doubt it was lord Sigmars doing, who else was as great as him, who else could accomplish such feet.

No there was a group of people that could do it, but other than them, not one of the other supposed off gods could do it.

Lucky had this gift ever since he was small, he could see the changes in the land, the taste- the colors -what dirt/ was ideal to use for growing crops in and where to dig in order to find precious stones.

So when the wind began to smell of wet dirt he knew instantly that something had happened.

Slowly he followed the smell to where the small river was located and found that the protective runes were nearly as bright as the sun.

Their magic keeping the overflowing waters from dragging away the town or the people that were outside of it.

To be honest, Lucky was tempted to throw himself into the water and see what the blessed river would do to him.

However, he reconsidered this as a large dog the size of a horse was dragged away passed him, by the current of the water.

Yet it was at this moment however brief it may have been that Lucky swore he saw several women swimming with the current, the thing was they weren't alone.

Soon men and children followed all speaking in such a way that it seemed that currents such as these were little more than a slight nuisance.

Still, there was no way that what he saw was real, so Lucky simply dismissed such a thing as his mind playing tricks on him.

Lucky felt his feet getting wet, not the kind if wet one gets by walking in town, but the kind of wet that one gets when he goes into the waterways, just to have fun.

Lucky noticed that several stones had begun to lift themselves up, so he gave them a good kike and drove the stones back into the ground.

One stone, tow stones and by the faith, Lucky found that a piece of black glass had been forced into the stone itself.

This was strange, considering no one used black glass in anything inside the city, at least as far as Lucky knew.

One by one the more stones lifted up and one by one Lucky pushed them back down until Lucky wasn't certain if he was covered in sweat or simply completely wet.

It was when the last stone was finally pushed back down and the last piece of black glass removed from the crack, that Lucky saw the runes glow, mix and heal the waterways.

That was when he saw it, Lucky knew what this was, no Lucky knew what this shouldn't be.

There, just a single step away from the ground and above the water itself was a glimmer, one that came and went, like it opened and closed somehow being unstable.

Lucky was about to turn back and tell someone when he felt a strong hand clasp his shoulder.

Lucky jumped surprised and a bit of fear until he noticed Lord Naotsugu was the one holding on to him.

The adventurer's smile was ever present as always, however, for some reason, it seemed, strained.

Behind him was a knight Lucky had never seen before carrying one of the wood children, that had been born from the seeds they had brought back.

Lucky remembered that he had gone and looked for the ones he had left behind, in the area where crops were grown, only to see the wood children, happily working alongside the farmers.

He didn't say anything, there was no reason to, the children had a happy home and he couldn't tackle care of them so he decided to let them be.

"Would you look at that." Naotsugu, said as he looked at the glimmer that shined just above the waters.

He let go of Lucky's shoulders and walked up to the edge of the waterways that separated the river from the city.

It wasn't all that far, just a single step away and so Lord Naotsugu stretched out his hand, and ruched the glimmer.

Instantly, like if something had taken hold of him, Lord Naotsugu was pulled off the ground and sucked into the glimmer.

There was no doubt about it now, Lucky was certain of it, this was a Realm Gate, a portal that leads to other worlds, or to the very least a different part of this one.

The knight drew his sword and pulled on Lucky's arm.

"Come on! " the knight said as he handed a dagger to Lucky.

The man's intention to jump into the glimmer was all too obvious, but Lucky didn't want to, there was no knowing where the realm gate went.

However, what would the adv3nturers do, when they found out that Lucky had left one of them behind, to some sort of gruesome fate.

Lucky took the dagger and ran jumping from the edge and just barely reaching the glimmer.

Lucky felt his heartbeat speed up as his fear for his life only increased, behind him Lucky heard the quickly moving sounds of armors boot suddenly lift themselves off ground.

What he saw next made Lucky's heart nearly stop with fear, the land was dead.

Death was the only thing Lucky could think about, as he saw the land around him, the waters had been filtering thru for some time, as Lucky saw dozens of ice crystals littering the ground around him.

They glow with a power that almost sooth his soul, the very land itself seemed to act as if it was greedily taking everything it could, simply to stay alive, to give and preserve life.

Dozens of small streams going off in every direction told everything lucky needed to know.

The magical waters had filtered thru and were beginning to change the lands, already strange plants had begun to grow, each as unique and as common as any other plant.

"We aren't going back the way we came." Said the knight as he placed his hand on a stone wall, that was, in reality, the side of a mountain.

"Over here!" Naotsugu yelled to them, as he signaled for them to follow him.

The knight did so with ought a word of protest.

"Have you ever traveled with an adventurer.'" He asked, but didn't wait to hear the answer.

"They somehow know where places are, like if they can see a map that has the world in it. I only know of a few stories of an adventurer getting lost and even then, those adventurers know where they have been and leave without having to turn back." He said.

Lucky understood what the man was saying, somehow someway, Lord Naotsugu knew where to go, if not to go home, some location that would be interesting or at the very least safe.

They walked for what seemed like hours when in reality couldn't have been more than a few minutes.

The world was wrong here, there wasn't a sound only the occasional how of the wind, the sky was black and had no stars, only the dim pail light of a dying moon.

The ice crystals had somehow begun to glow with a purple and blue light as if responding to their need.

As they walked Lord Naotsugu drew his sword like if sensing some approaching evil, the sword was easily the adventurer's size, this was interesting considering Lord Naotsugu stood a full head above a regular person, at least when he wore his armor.

Lucky saw when Lord Naotsugu suddenly stopped walking but kept his eyes locked on a particular location in front of him.

Considering they were following the adventurer, both the knight and himself remained two steppes behind the man.

Each observing the surrounding area for any danger that might come, the knight watched their backs, while Lucky himself watched both right and left.

The moment they reached Lord Naotsugu was the moment they realized that the ice crystals must have been forming in this land for squire sometime.

A crystal the size of a mountain, and several stone buildings built around it.

No that wasn't right, Lucky knew that something was off, the moment his eyes met they massive crystal.

It wasn't a single crystal that was the size of a mountain, but hundreds of ice crystals stacked up one after another.

Then a slight glow came from the crystal and a being Lucky had never seen before emerged from the crystal itself, it went into one of the homes and after a few minutes, it walked out of the building and went back into the crystal.

"That's our way home." Lord Naotsugu said as he pointed at the massive collection of ice crystals.

He didn't want either of them to respond before he began to walk forward, quickly Lucky and the knight that had yet to name himself followed not wanting to remain in this dead world any longer than they needed.

Like Lucky had suspected, the entire place was deserted, no one alive or dead.

Naotsugu didn't even show a moment of hesitation when he stepped into the crystal, the moment he touched it, the shards of ice glow with such a force that they seemed to become a new sun.

The knight using his hands to shield the wood child ran into the crystal, before vanishing.

Lucky held his breath and ran in after them, the sounds of bells and harps playing alongside the voices of men and woman reached Lucky's ears.

Lucky found himself realizing he had closed his eyes as he tried to shield them from the light of the massive crystal.

When he opened them, Lucky realized he was underground in some sort of market, men- woman and even children with blue or purple skin and eyes that seemed to glow met his sight, before smiling and waving at him.

No, they weren't waiving at him, they were welcoming Lord Naotsugu, who in turn was waiving back.

"We are underneath the city, but the others are going to have to hear about what we just found." Lord Naotsugu said as he looked at the various ice crystals that light up the underground market.

[Speech change Mathieu ]  
The wind began to blow slowly, like the cold breath of a man that savored his last moments in darkness.

As the prayers came to an end and the women began to dance alongside the various songs and chants the musicians played.

Children ran to stalls selling their various trinkets and toys, other bothering their parents or buying the things themselves.

Knights mingled about, speaking to the maidens and craving them by their buttocks lifting them into the air, as the women laughed. Their faces displaying their joy, as they could no longer contain their wide smiles.

Mages displayed their magic only slightly, for to do so in an uncontrolled manner was to invite disaster.

Mathieu cared for none of it, no he made his way towards the entrance to the underground tunnels. Past the crowds of joyful people and playing children, he even caught a glimpse of various beast men drinking with a dwarf or two.

Then he felt it, it was but an instant but it was unmistakable, had he been any less skilled, Mathieu was certain he would have cast that feeling away as something unimportant.

He turned and looked towards the entrance of the town, yet try as he might, Mathieu failed to see anything at all.

He turned his head for a second, as a woman accidentally bumped into him, she quickly apologized and went on her way.

Mathieu quickly turned back to look at the entrance of the town and saw a hooded man, walking slowly.

He was like many of the injured that made their way to jewel, however, where the sick and injured walked weakly, the man's steps were carefully given.

It was as if he was trying to look as weak as possible.

Mathieu was about to go and speak to the man, but as he began to walk towards him a crowd of people passed obscuring his view.

By the time Mathieu made his way to where the man was standing, he found him nowhere to be found.

This was no coincidence and Mathieu felt his instincts take over.

He looked around and found that he didn't have to do so for long. A tiny figure standing on top of one of the houses, signaled for him to head towards one of the many luxurious mansions.

It seems he himself had been followed.

He followed the tiny figure to a large mansion that had, the image of the crescent moon on it.

The moment he entered the building, he found small children singing a strange song about a spider that attempted to climb a water spout.

From the lyrics of the song, the song was about overcoming hardships and continuing forward despite sometimes being overwhelmed by the hardships of life.

The children's small forms made many parents and caretakers smile and laugh.

As Mathieu walked thru the rooms, each holding its own unique show. One had the children were dressed up as sunflowers, singing about someone being their sunshine.

It was a song of appreciation and love.

"So this is the guild of the Cresent moon." Mathieu thought as he walked past the warmed of the children and entered an are where pregnant and newly made mothers were kept.

The Crescent moon seemed to be dedicated to the protection and guidance of the next generation. It also seemed dedicated to treating the sick and injured.

However, there was one particular room that seemed like it negated anything good about the guild.

Mathieu drew his pistol and prepared himself.

He walked slowly and entered the room, there standing in a strange pentagram composed of a black glass, was the man he had seen earlier.

A tiny shot itself past him and attacked the man.

She was like a blur, striking from every angle.

Her voice didn't hold a hint of doubt even as she called for reinforcements.

Unfortunately whatever the hooded man was doing continued even without his involvement.

Mathieu took a deep breath and opened fire.

Perhaps it was his momentary hesitation, but the bullet missed the two combatants by a wide breadth.

No, it couldn't have been that Mathieu knew he had the perfect angle and that he couldn't have missed... and yet he did.

Brief gusts of wind blew around him to an opened window, yet try as he might, Mathieu couldn't see any, for the room had none.

That was when it hit him, the repeated gusts of wind, did not wind at all, but the two combatants passing by him.

They were moving at such a speed, that they left their images behind, he was looking at the shadows of the past.

He was useless at the moment, she would have to deal with the mage on her own. Mathieu thought as he turned his eyes towards the strange pentagram.

A strange glow had begun to emit from the black glass, yet for whatever reason, it seemed to be supported.

No doubt the magic in the city its self-was at work. But how had the man bypassed, both the mist and the waters?

It was then that Mathieu realized the sheer implications of even tampering with the towns magic.

The man had bypassed the magical protection because for a moment, they had not existed. This meant that even growing the magical barrier, would leave both the waters - the town- the people and the kingdoms beyond them vulnerable.

The bursts of wind continued as Mathieu neared the pentagram and found the ghostly images of ghouls and deranged spirits, clawing at the glass.

He knew what he had to do, so he took his canteen of water and began to pour out its contents.

In the time that it took to close and open his eyes, Mathieu found that a strange staff was just in chess from his face. The tiny figure of the assassin, he had met before restraining it with her blade.

Suddenly the glass began to glow, first a light blue and then a deep purple, until the lights began to swirl and match those that covered the town.

In a matter of seconds, the glass was itself, covered in ice. Mathieu could have sworn he heard the sound of screaming coming from the glass.

It was strange but somehow, the glass began to crack until it shattered into dust.

The Necromancer seeing aimed for a jar he had tied to his waist, but a powerful armored hand shot itself like a bolt of lighting, breaking the man's arms.

The Necromancer screamed in pain, as several knights so rounded him and placed both a metal collar and restraints that hummed the moment they were locked.

They were undoubtedly magical in nature.

The strange container was forcefully taken from the necromancer, who did not want to let it out of his reach.

As for the man himself, he was taken away somewhere.

Mathieu followed as the man was dragged away, past the singing children and smiling parents. None of them knowing the fate they had just escaped.

Suddenly as the towns bells began to ring, twice, three times no four. Mathieu knew what this was but the sound was being drowned out, by the music and voices of the people.

The Necromancer giggled madly under his restraints, yet even as he spoke his enchantments, they failed to do anything at all.

The runes carved into his restraints were performing their duty well.

The tiny figure of the assassin ran past him, she was more like an illusion than an actual person.

Mathieu resided to follow her, leaving the necromancer to the city guards watch.

The moment he exited the building, he saw several figures jumping from roof to roof, all headed in the same direction.

Knights pushed or simply used their intimidating presence, to force people out of their way.

Beams of light fell from the sky, something Mathieu had read in the reports that indicated a ripe of teleportation magic the adventurers used.

All of them were headed in the same direction.

The town was under attack and the people were completely unaware of it.

Mathieu began to give chance not wanting to be left behind, or simply lose the chance to markdown whatever secrets the adventurers hid from the world.

He pushed the people out of his way and any that refused the simple sight of his rifle made them move.

He just barely made it as the last adventurer entered a set of doors that lead to the tunnels below.

Mathieu would have thought this was to combinate.

However, the reports made it known, that if the adventurers ever gathered in one specific place than the danger was to greate and should not be ignored.

Mathieu ran into the tunnel past the wooden door and found ice covering the walls of the tunnels.

The ice itself provided light for the tunnels and Mathieu found himself chasing the shadows of the Adventurers.

Then Mathieu heard something that made his heart stop.

"Natsu!" An adventurer screamed, his voice was filled with despair.

Something in his very core made Mathieu know, that something terrible had happened.  
Something which implications spelled debater for everyone if not corrected immediately.

Mathieu felt himself move and what he saw nearly brought him to his knees.

He didn't know why, nor did he understand but he felt as if something from the world had been cut off and made it somewhat less.

An adventurer was breaking into shards of golden light. Around him, the corpses of several Necromancers laid dead.

Blue and purple pointy-eared elves fought against specters using a combination of their magic and the waters.

But the adventurer was dying and his form was being drained into a glass jar, held by a creature that was rotting away.

The moment the adventurer was gone completely taken in by the black jar, the creature drank its contents and began to laugh.

[Moments earlier]  
The glow of the blue and purple light the ice gave of when Naotsugu passed thru it was like a star.

One that pushed away from the darkness and where its light shuns, it eased the eternal cold feeling of nothingness.

This did not go unnoticed, for even in a land that was dead there were those that had been denied true death.

They now walked the lands that were once their homes, lands that at one point were green and filled with life. Lands that had streams, wildlife for hinting and more.

The glow of the ice pillar was like a blessing from a god that had heard about their tragedy and granted them some sort of mercy.

One by one their bone or rotten feet stepped closer towards the pillars of light, only for every time one of them made contact with an ice building they would quickly freeze and remain frozen in place.

At first, there had been only a few of them, then dozens came, then their numbers grew to a few hundred.

Each time more of them would make contact with the ice and frees in place, but their numbers were too great now, for something like that to be a real problem.

When the first of them was about to touch the largest pillar, the sound of a madman laughing reached their ears.

If any hint of emotion was left, then the only feeling the undead felt was terror. For their bodies no longer responded to them.

So with a single step, the first of them entered the pillar and laid eyes on a knight wearing a set of gray armor.

Instantly he attempted to bite the knight, but the man's armor was thick. So with a move of his wrist, the knight, broke the skeletons head its body.

Still more and more undead began to pour thru until their number was so great that the tunnels themselves were being seals of as the ice-covered each corps.

The tunnel dwellers launched their magic forcing the undead back, but it wasn't enough.

No, something far worse was coming.

Realizing this Naotsugu called for help, hoping the others had finished what they had to do and make it back in time.

Luckily there were other adventurers and knights present, no the situation want out of hand. At least not yet.

They just needed to hold back the tide of the undead until either the ice covered the entrance or they destroyed the moving corpses.

Howling did he swing his great sword, breaking and slicing undead. It must have been hours, yet more and more came, their numbers seemed endless.

Finally, he heard a familiar voice, it was his old friends, for a second it was only a second. Naotsugu turned to greet his old friend, then a burning feeling took over.

As he looked down Naotsugu realized that a green glowing hand had pierced his chest and crushed his heart.

Then nothing, except the giggling of a woman's voice.

[Present]

The Necromancer laughed as he felt the adventurer's power flowing thru him, strengthening him.

He was now just another soul powering his own, the rest of them watched in horror, that was quickly becoming rage.

Then he felt it, the power was flowing, no it wasn't flowing. It was too much.

"Take it back." "How is this happening," the necromancer said as he began to release the contents of his stomach.

Dozens of souls began to leave his body weakening him, each soul released meant that he himself would die.

His body began to glow white hot and like an ocean, the lives he had taken were forced to be lived by him. Each birth and death.

That is until all that remained was his own soul and the adventurers. The last thing he would ever see was the unthinkable, the reality of his existence.

Naotsugu pulled himself free, from inside the corps. It was hard to believe that someone his size could fit inside another person's stomach.

[Speech change Mathieu ]  
Mathieu couldn't bring himself to move, his petrification wasn't due to fear or any manner of enchantment done to him, but rather what he had just witnessed.

Even as he watched the malformed elve like creatures mold and twist the ice around the undead, he could not help but replay what he had just seen.

He was certain that to the grand majority of people, it would have seemed as if the ice and the jar that had kept the adventures soul in place, had simply grown and exploded overwhelmed by the adventurer's power.

They would be wrong.

If Mathieu were to ever speak of what he saw he would be labeled a fool, he knew that well enough, but the truth was the truth.

The ice had not grown and shone as it resonated with the adventurer's power...No, the ice was draining the power from the adventurer.

One simply had to look at the speed the ice had grown, when the adventurer had been momentarily killed. The ice grew in such a speed that it nearly cut off entire sections of the tunnels.

Then if one simply looked at what the ice was doing to the undead, it was a simple act of addition.

As for the year that had contained the spectors, few would have known it of born witness to what he had seen without training.

The moment the jar broke, Mathieu saw the sectors attempt to flee, but whatever power the adventurer is made of dragged the souls back to him and devoured them.

No, it wasn't something as simple and as convenient as enslaving the spirits of the dead.

The adventurer's very soul had consumed the souls of the dead, it was that way that it broke the seals of its containment. This creature had simply become too powerful to contain and control.

Mathieu had seen enough, to know that he needed to get word to the organization, thence creatures could not be contained, they could not be controlled, but they could be reasoned with.

One by one the adventurers passed him, each one walked with a level of confidence that spoke of both battle experience and something akin, to humanity.

"Come on." A voice he only heard once before caught his attention. It belonged to the tiny figure of the girl he had followed into the tunnels.

"Nautsugu found something interesting, so as long as your here." Said the tiny assassin, as she began to break her way thru the ice was in front of her.

Others were doing the same, some simply broke the ice by placing their hands on it, others actually commanded the ice to move, while others simply cut a path open and walked into the door they made for themselves.

Mathieu watched as they did this and realized that there was a division, one group was going back to the surface, while another was going to investigate what had been found.

As Mathieu watched the adventurers work, he noticed that the reason it was even taking so long, was the fact that the ice itself was growing with every moment the adventurers made contact with it.

There could only be two reasons for that, one the adventurers werea type of undead or the adventurer's bodies simply contained so much power, the ice could drain if with ought a problem.

When the path was finally complete, he walked behind the investigation force and found himself in a place that was completely dark and dead, but with walls upon walls of ice as far as the eye could see.

Right before his eyes, Mathieu could see the ice growing father the adventurers had walked thru the ice pillar.

No doubt this was the location of a realm gate, conveniently placed underneath the town.

He needed to get word out and this town needed to be fortified, but any show of force would prove disastrous.

These were not mortal creatures and even if they had human or near human forms, they had long since stopped being it.

So if somehow the town was invaded and successfully taken over, it would be at a heavy price and whatever force would be left would be to tired and so few in number that, they could never keep the town under their control.

Diplomacy was the best option at the moment and unfortunately, he didn't have any authority to do it.

Balls of light that held grinning faces were summoned, several phoenixes light up the surrounding lands with their fire and were sent out to investigate.

However, there was only ice, undead that simply walked around without direction or reason.

There was nothing here, the few glimpses of light came from the ice itself and the waters that seemed to glow but nothing else. The land was truly dead.

At least that's what he wanted to believe, kneeling down to look at the ground he noticed that a change had already begun.

Earthworms that had small patches of green growing on them were digging their way thru the dirt.

It wasn't the green that caught his attention, but the fact that the worms seemed to be carrying small ice crystals on their tiny branches.

It was a strange thing seeing this, as the worms moved they seemed to spread the ice true the ground itself like fertilizer.

There was no way of knowing just how long ago this land had fallen or if this darkness was the realms natural state, but what Mathieu did know, who's that for any species to change it required time.

Howling that depended on the animal, plant or insect.

It appears that there will soon be another kind of expansion. Mathieu didn't know if it was a good thing or not.

When he had just entered the tunnels beneath the town, he found them to be dark, damp and with limited light. At least the areas that had few people living in them.

A light tap on his shoulder made him turn around and he noticed the tiny figure of the assassin, pointing at the pillar of ice they had all emerged from.

"We're leaving." She said.

Noticing his hesitation she continued.

"There's no point in worrying about it, there's no one here at the moment and unless you just want to hunt moving dead." She said before she turned and walked back into the pillar.

Mathieu decided to wait until he was either the last person of enough of the adventurers had passed to confirm his suspensions.

One by one they entered the pillar and the ice began to glow, Mathieu felt his eyes harden.

The ice was growing but at a speed that exceeded what he had seen earlier.

The ice pillar grew at such a speed that it was soon out of sight. Then it happened the ice from the pillar began to spread like it had reached some sort of ceiling.

It did this for a few moments before it continued its climb upwards.

The walls of ice that surrounded the area grew and spread in such a way that they broke thru the land itself. With every moment that passed the sounds of glass shattering increased, before they stopped.

Mathieu realized that he was the last one, normally to have left him behind was a foolish thing, but he had no doubt the adventurers didn't even see it as a problem.

He had learned enough to understand that they would see any threats as simply one more challenge to overcome.

For a moment he kneeled down and picked up several worms, proof to the organization of what he had seen and his mind drifted to The Stormcast Eternals.

No longer mortals but not entirely gods.

He entered the pillar and found himself face to face, with the blue and purple faces of the strange elve like beings.

They were moving and shaping the ice, that was something he had to report, however, when he was about to say that he wanted to look around they simply placed a finger on their lips and pointed to the exit.

Perhaps he wasn't wanted here or seeing as the adventurers had left, they had been ordered to get rid of him. Both were possibilities and both held their own implications.

Reaching the outside was faster, however, he did have to use a different exit and instantly he was met with the joy-filled sounds of the festival.

No one had been aware of what was happening in the town, in fact, everyone was so engrossed in the celebrations that they were dancing in the streets.

Soft melodies gave way to powerful strikes of notes and every group of people danced with their own unit stile.

Another matter that proved how many different kinds of people lived in the town.

He had seen enough, he needed to rest and write down everything less his memory become crowded with whatever reason.


	5. Chapter 5

(Speech change)

Time had gone by slowly, to think that someone such as her would be tasked with inspecting a meaningless town, in the middle of nowhere, whose only resource was water and ice.

The empire had water and ice, quite frankly any mage could produce the thing.

One didn't have to be a mage, a machine could do it.

So why was someone such as her forced to look into such a miserable place?

The sun was hot, the air was dry and overall there was nothing to do. Then there was the storm that had come in and forced her and her escort into a miserable town that had no ins.

She thought it would have passed by now, but no the a cursed thing just kept getting stronger and stronger.

Soon a carry and of merchants and simple peasants began to show up, driven to the town because of the storm.

Her escort and her self had not dared to go deeper into the town because of a plague that was slowly spreading.

That was until today.

The people brought with them large barrels filled to the brink with water and began to send small flasks filled with it, into the town.

It was strange, what could a few drops of water due to help alleviate a plague.

Slowly a mist began to spread thru the ground itself, like veins that were too dark and were all too easy to see inside the pale body of a poisoned person.

Looking closely she noticed that it wasn't the dirt itself, at least not entirely.

The roots of the dead plants affected by the plague had greedily drunken the drops of water and in the area where the merchants and the peasant's wagons, carriages were had forcefully twisted themselves into the carriages and wagons, forcing them to stay in place.

It was like seeing one disease combating another.

Of course, the people were paying with whatever they had for the cure and that meant more water being sent in and more falling to the ground.

Word had reached her about rot flies being forced out of their victim's bodies and dissolving at the spot.

No deaths and the people in perfect health or near perfect health.

Somethings she had heard were too ridiculous to believe.

Rotten body parts healing and regrowing almost overnight. With little to no pain to those affected.

Finally, the storm passed and her heart nearly stopped.

The roots hadn't simply stretched underneath the town, they had torn thru the surrounding area.

Even now they flew with an unnatural glow, a fading one.

She had arrived to the town attempting to stay ahead of the storm and the people that had arrived had done the same.

They all beloved that it was only luck that the storm hadn't reached them, now they knew the truth.

Trees had grown everywhere and their leaf covered branches had kept the storm away, like a wall made of branches that flew an ethereal blue and leaves that seemed to have minds of their own.

(Word begins to spread )  
He hesitated for a long moment, if he made a mistake then the hours he had spent working would be for nothing.

The dead were rising and attacking anything with any shred of life.

The village had grown colder, more distant, people refused to look at one another less their eye to eye contact signal their location to the enemy.

One day a merchant came and offered special waters that he claimed to blessed with miracle. A small container filled with it would generate a small mist, that would envelop a person and keep them safe from the enemies eyes.

No one believed him, so the man walks don't into the infected lands and the dead did not act.

They couldn't see him, yet when the man spike he moved quickly from his spot, as the nearest undead moved in to claw at the area.

The mist had a weakness, the dead could still hear them, but they could not see them.

The merchant warned them not to drink the waters, for it would cure and heal any injury and illness, but once it was gone, it was gone and whatever protection it had would leave with it.

That had been a month ago, the village chief ordered for more than half the water bought, to be used to in a convention with a ripe of upper and lower plumbing system.

The water would constantly move around the village and magical incantations would make sure that ith never lost its purity.

Soon the undead lost any way of seeing the people and were only aware of the location of the village, whenever someone spoke yo loudly or an animal made to much noise.

Children learned to play indoors rather than outside and the more daring ones would take turns pushing the undead onto the ground.

One day they saw that when the light of the sun hit the clear glass pipes that somehow were now encased in ice, that any undead touched with the light would stop and its which fire nearly vanish.

The word began to spread and soon more and more villages imitated the act, until a sense of stability and safety set in.

There were no illnesses and injuries were quickly heald when the mist touched them.

One could travel for miles and every town or village would have people wearing small pendants filled with the magical waters.

The only exception was the free guilds who learned that if one poured the water into an undead the corps would fall and flow away dust to the wind never to return.

Seventy hours of none stop work, putting together a sphere of ice, made from every ice crystal made by the magical waters that I could buy.

All that I had yo due was ignite a light and we would be safe at night, just one more peace, just one more peace...just one the sphere broke.

No, it didn't break naturally something made it turn to ice dust.

(Speech change)  
It was a strange thing... to think that goblins of all things would willingly put their weapons down and follows like frightened children.

It wasn't just goblins now, more and more people were gathering in their carry ban trying to escape the hate-filled sun, that drained the life from everything.

Several merchants and servants had gone off after hearing words of strange magical waters that could perform miracles.

When they returned, they did so with several barrels filled to the brim with the presets material.

Quickly pendants were filled with the waters and spread to everyone, even the animals. Some wanted to use the waters to water the crops, but that was the thing, once the waters were gone, they were gone and more barrels needed to be brought in.

The terrain was dangerous enough as it was and it was getting even more so if things weren't fully dead or mad from the lack of food or water. Then they were apart of the undead horde.

The only option was to leave and find someplace safe, but where would they go, where could possibly be safe when the very nature of death has become one's enemy.

Then one of the merchants spoke, the town where they had gotten the precious waters, it alone was untouched by the Mad God of the Dead and in fact, fought off his influence.

But the realm gate was several days away and was becoming more and more dangerous as time passed.

Sadly they had to risk it, at first the sounds of the animals attacked the undead or any hungry animal, now none of them made a sound.

Not even the birds sang with their beautiful songs and even stopped flying as the sound of their wings attached anything that could hear the blood pumping thru their veins.

The few magic users made it so that the waters so rounded them permanently and kept them hidden, but the living could still see them.

So word began to spread and more and more gathered.

They just needed to reach the realm gate and they would be safe.

At least that is what they thought, a few dozens became a few hundred until no one could walk without bumping into someone else.

Slowly stories began to be passed around of what had been seen by someone else and what had happened first hand.

Infants that aged into elderly in less than a day, magical fires were put out forcing the people to freeze to death.

In areas that none had ever heard about, it was said that the sun had drained the life from the ground itself that an entire mountain crumbled away.

Entire barrels were emptied as more and more people gathered, had there been something else other than human few would ever know, for as far as the eye could see thousands of people marched in a hopeless escape.

Nine knew if the town was real or just a story made up by the merchants and whatever town or village leader was in charge.

Finally, they reached the realm gate and as they passed they felt the hot sun on their skin, it burned.

It felt good, the heat was life-giving, not life taking. Still, they had to match on, hoping that whatever free guilds had joined would be enough to at least buy some time.

Finally they saw them after walking for days in the hot desert, the lights in the sky. They just had to make it in time, the sun was starting to feel strange...

(Speech change)  
As we marched ever closer to the town I could feel the winds of magic swirling and breaking.

It wasn't a bad thing, no, it felt pleasant like when one uses a fan in a hot summer day, the wind is cut up and smashed, but the feeling was pleasant.

His fellow magic user mages, run experts and whatever they may have called themselves had gathered here and there, each exchanging notes and trying to figure out just how to best use this new magic.

It wasn't life, it certainly wasn't dead, it was certainly chaotic but it wasn't evil.

There was a greater presence of order that could be felt even at the distance, where the town could not be seen, but only the glowing lights in the sky could.

At times the greater skull of the mad god Nagash would show itself in the sky or in whatever rock or skull formations they encountered.

Only for a stream of colored light to wash over the area forcing the mad does touch away.

Already the had walked upon thousands or was it millions of dead hands stretching from the sands attempting to claw at the living. Only to be frozen in place by the magical ice that was born by the influence of the water.

The merchants and the tribe or town leaders said that it would tack days to reach the town, but at their current speed, that time was extended to weeks or months.

They walked under the canyons ever vigilant walls. He had forgotten that stone doesn't just break and crushes people, simply for the hell of it.

The goblins had left during that time, laughing and speaking in their own. Many said it was better to kill them now before they became a true threat, but they were for the moment like us.

So we just let them go for now.

When it began to get dark strange grass and flowers grew rapidly and let out small specks of light into the air.

The glowing forms of the lights and the plant themselves allows the massive group of people, to be able to walk and see whatever dangers were nearby.

They found strange trees, that looked as if they had legs or faces and in ovations both, yet the things never moved and in fact even had several flowers growing all over them.

Seers of fate spoke of seven great pillars and an eight that was kept at a distance.

Alone they were nothing but together they were strong.

Still, as they walked the days passed and the peoples will began to dwindle more and more, it felt like if they hadn't made any progress at all.

More than half wanted to give up and simply learn to live in the lands, slowly normal grass and small plants were beginning to grow, so crops could be planted and grown.

The match bad been halted and more than half the group wanted to stop, the other half wanted to keep going.

They were about to split up and go their separate ways when the ground shook and with the defeating sounds of thunder the lights in the sky grew.

They covered all of the areas where they stood and had walked upon and like if thunder had been sent to the very ground the land shook and besides the very spot where they stood a river of water made its self-known.

His fellow magic users, as well as himself, could see, the winds of magic flow thru them, some people were even glowing with them.

"Look" a little boy screamed and the people turned to see a fish man waving at them.

He stood upon the rushing current of water as if the thing was entirely skill and was solid and not a liquid at all.

Members of the free guild went to go see what he wanted.

So he used a special kind of spell too listen to their conversation.

"Yeah sorry to bother you folks, but considering you are coming from that particular direction." The fish man said a s he pointed toward the canyon are.

"I was wondering if you could inform me of whats over there, for obvious reasons we haven't been able to check it out." Said the fish man.

The biggest and the strongest of the free guild leaders spoke, but he did it in such a soft manner that his voice was even welcoming.

"A trade, how far are we from Juwel?" He said.

The fish ma looked at him smiled and said. "Okay mate, I win something and I loose nothing.  
You're about a week away judging by your numbers over there." The fish man said before he looked at the free guild leader.

"Nothing is over there except rocks, dirt, some frozen undead and glowing plants. Sigmar only knows how the place has changed now that the lights have grown." The man said before the fishmans smile vanished.

"Word of warning, don't go to that town looking for trouble. We may not all get along, but that town is home to many kinds if you know what I mean." The Fishman said before sinking back into the water and swimming away.

Soon the men returned and informed everyone about how much time they had left, still, it was just a week they had walked for so long that a week was nothing.

So the large group decided to stay together at the end.

The magic wilder melted whatever ice they could get their hands on and noticed that the magical properties of the waters were still there.

They gathered moister from the air and noticed that the mist that formed had the exact properties of the waters, a pattern was forming.

Soon a theory had begun to spring up, perhaps the waters were actually overwhelming the illness they encounter and strengthening whatever was naturally there.

It explained why wen someone drank from them they instantly recover from whatever was hurting them.

Their bodies had simply been given more power and there wasn't any burn out because the cells themselves wee restored in the proses.

Still he could finally see one of the pillars of ice, except this one was alone and had a river flowing from it.

[Speech change Mathieu ]  
He sat down for a moment and for however brief it may have been he allowed himself to breathe and take in the sights before him.

Women carried children and infants, maidens danced, sang, fondled with their lovers and joyfully went about their day, unaware of how narrowly they had escaped certain doom.

He wanted to write down what he had seen but to do so was ridiculous even by the standards of the witch hunters.

Just how does one write down that there are creatures in human or near human form that can only be said to be one step below or above the Stormcast Eternals.

He had seen enough to understand that both the waters and the ice weren't the source of their power, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

Both the ice and waters were entirely dependent on them to continuously grow and be maintained in any effective manner and yet thence creatures were happy enough to leave everyone alone.

Truth be told anyone else regardless of who or what they were would have demanded or at the very least incur raged the people to worship whatever God they did.

But they didn't.

As Mathieu looked at the people dancing and going about their day, playing their instruments and buying whatever caught their eye, he asked himself.

"What exactly is an Adventurer?"

"If you don't know then why not figure out what they aren't." Said a small mouse-like voice next to him.

Mathieu looked down and he noticed that it was the same black hair girl from before, only that now she wore a flowered dress and was joyfully eating an apple covered in chocolate.

She looked up to him and quickly hid the apple behind her back saying. "Its mine, I bought it with my own money. So it's mine."

Mathieu looked at her for a moment and asked. "Why did you say to look for what they aren't?"

The girl turned to look at him and bit on the apple and the chocolate stained her new dress, but either the girl had Bt noticed or didn't really care.

"Momy says that went you don't know what something is, it's better to find out what it isn't so you won't make a mistake about it later." The girl answers him her large black eyes seemed to sparkle, as a bright smile crossed her face.

The girl seemed to be proud of the fact that she had remembered such a detail.

Soon, however, a boy holding a strawberry jelly covered banana ran up to the girl, took a bite from her apple and ran off with the girl in tears in hot pursuit of him.

For , Mathieu swore he heard the boys screams and he smiled at the childish acts.

It was for this reason that he existed so that children like them could grow into better people.

"So what exactly wasn't an adventurer? Everything about them contradicts itself," Mathieu said as he looked at the sky to the various colors and noticed several winged beasts he hadn't seen before.

He took a piece of paper and began to write down his experiences and everything he had seen.

He would have to give his report in person and make sure his words both matched what he had written down and everything in between his arrival and the time he left.

[Speech change Lucky]  
Lucky sat down and ate as fast as he could, Lucky needed to leave, something wasn't right.

Not at all, not good or bad, but it was wrong, it was all wrong. Lucky knew he had seen an adventurer respawn, but he never imagined it to have been so terrifying.

Master Naotsugu, was amongst the kindest of adventurers, bit what Lucky had seen was truly horrifying, so horrifying that even his blood threatened to freeze.

The moment master naotsugu died and returned Lucky saw the winds of magic, not one not two, but all of them bee sucked in and crushed as if an endless abyss was taking them somewhere far.

So far in fact that the air itself was gone, Lucky needs to leave something wasn't right, but could he leave? had he seen too much?

No his job was just to dig and find precious stones and metals, understand the nature of the land and so on.

Yes, Lucky hadn't seen a thing, the adventurers wouldn't hurt him for seeing such things. right?

Lucky didn't want to die, he didn't want to die.

"Please don't kill me," Lucky said as hot tears began to fall onto his food, so much so that finally he could not hold back his fear and he broke down crying.

He would beg, he would become a slave but he didn't want to die or be sent to wherever that faraway place was.

A larger armored hand took his shoulder and Lucky saw Master Naotsugu holding his shoulder, his armored hand felt warm and kind.

The adventurer's smiling face was now replaced with a look of concern.

"Please don't kill me." Was all that Lycky said before he hugged Master Naotsugu and begged him in hot tears again and again "Please don't kill me.


	6. Chapter 6

[Speech change Naotsugu]  
Naotsugu just held the kid as he cried into his chests he didn't care what people would say later he just held the kid and let him cry.

Slowly the sound of someone drinking reached both his and the young man's ear.

"You had your innocence taken today, didn't you?"

A man said, he was around six feet high and wore little to no clothes, only a piece of animal skin covered his royal jewels and some furred skins covered his upper half but it wasn't by much, the man's body was showing itself everywhere.

"I'll take a wild guess, today you saw someone close to you become something completely different. Probably killed a couple of things or even people." The man said as he took a drink from his cup.

"Come on boy keep crying, it's not shameful. You just had your worldview shattered." The man said as he lowered the cup onto the table.

"Way I see it boy, is you have two options. One you let your fear beat you and leave or two you say screw it and keep moving forward. Neither is the a cowards way out, these are dark times after all." He said as he patted Lucky's head.

"Who are you?" Naotsugu asked as he handed the man his hand offering to shake hi  
The man just looked at the hand smiled and gave it with his own tightly.

"Names Rock, me and my boys are going to see just what's in the other side of the dead lands." Rock said as several men that were as undressed as he was raised their cups and slammed them loudly.

"My name Naotsugu." Naotsugu said as he let go of the man's hand, however, Rock just smiled and let out a laugh.

"Everyone knows who the adventurers are." Rock said as he lamed his hand on Naotsugus back.

"So what do you say boy, do you stay? Do you leave? Or do you come with us? But if you come with us, there is no guaranty any of us will come back." Rock said to Lucky who had already stopped crying.

The boy just got up turned and walked away, Naotsugu was about to follow him when Rock stopped him.

"The boy has to grow up, he has to do this on his own. You as well as I know what will happen if he can't deal with something like this, he has to do it on his own." Rock said as he took another drink.

[Speech change Michael]  
He needed to find Lord Shiroe and tell him everything, show him both the letters and the glass given to him within the envelope.

Yet how could something like this happen so soon, they had already had incidents here and there.

Now, this increased both the danger and the importance of the town, yet he could he allow something like this to pass without first letting the Adventurers know about it.

He had little doubt that the black glass was already within Jewel, they had found small peaces here and there. Either just laying on the ground or inserted into cracks in walls or simply being pulled out of the waterways.

Yet the possibility remains that these were two separate groups and if that was true then the danger increased significantly.

The letters simply said that several people had grabbed the sacred waters and used them in multiple attempts to purify the city of Shadesspire.

The problem was that the level of corruption was so great that every attempt only cut bits and peaches of the numerous undead.

Still, the hunting parties were sent in and were discovering more and more riches and archaic knowledge left behind by the city's previous inhabitants.

It was there that the danger lied, the black glass was somehow able to drain the souls of those that touched it unless they were in constant contact with the waters.

This was prevented by either drinking the waters continuously, wearing something that made a mist around the users, like a pendant or a bracelet.

The last option was covering the glass itself in the waters themselves.

It was there that the danger in the letters began, apparently, a small group would come in collect the waters and give it to the people in Shadesspire.

But there was such an amount of black glass collet now that its effects were just barely contained.

Yet there was one place where the effects were kept entirely away. Jewel, the place where the waters originated from.

Yet it wasn't true, after what he had seen the moment he came in contact with the peace of smooth black glass, the world around him lost all sound and the blue glow of the mist that was constantly present all over town.

He could feel himself being drained of his very life before he managed to barely take in a breath and regain all of his life and strength.

Something had tried to kill him, either it was an assassination attempt or an attempt to prove that the town could force back the effects of the black glass.

Either way, he needed to find master Shiroe.

The ever invigorating atmosphere of the festival completely contradicted the feelings he could barely contain. He had to find an adventurer it didn't matter who, it was best if it was Master Shiroe but anyone from the house of the Horizon would do.

For that matter, any adventurer could do what needed to be done, whatever that may be.

He could feel the black glass shift and turn inside the envelope attempting to push back the purifying effects of the mists, but for howling the struggle would continue, he didn't dare to find out.

He had left the infant trees to watch over the house and keep the servant's company and the servants, in turn, reacted as if they had been left in charge of children.

They had seen and heard the adventurers referring to them as their children and as so, they now looked to him to act as a voice between them and the adventurers.

He was so caught up in searching that he never noticed that when had bumped into someone.

They were both knocked down onto the wet floor but neither she nor himself said anything.

Before he knew it several guards had their lances and sword pointed at him.

Yet a heavily armored hand made them withdraw it.

The hand belonged to the head of the house D.D.D Lord Krusty, the man smiled and helped him to his feet.

Yet before the man could even so much as say a word Michael felt himself begin to talk, he spoke so quickly that the words themselves sounded like gibberish and he was the one speaking them.

Yet the adventurer listened and as he spoke Lord Krustys eyes hardened until they looked like glowing embers.

There was so much power resonating from him, that the ice itself began to grow from his feet and envelop the area around him, runes flew and the very stone itself seemed to diapers his power making more of the foundation of the town glow, with an ever-increasing amount of ethereal energy.

Lord Krusty rose his hand to his right ear and called out to all that could hear him and in his own words sent out the warning.

However, it was too late.

Entire barrels had already been delivered filled to the brim with the smooth black glass.

More than one warehouse had received several shipments of it, the barrels themselves were filled with water that seemed to turn and blend upon itself.

Necklaces and jewelry of all sorts were delivered as well, yet they all had bits and peaches of the glass embedded within them.

Michael felt his heart sink it was too late, far too late, evil would no doubt turn to look in their direction now.

Yet as Lord Krusty picked up the peace of black glass he carried in the envelope, he saw the adventurer begin to laugh and let out a savage smile, that seemed better placed on a beast rather than a man.

The black glass shattered and blew away into dust before the dust itself was brought down by the mist.

Michael remembered something he had foolishly forgotten.

 **God killers live in this town.**

[Speech change Michael]  
Lord Krusty simply looked at him and for a brief moment Michael knew he was about to die yet the attack never came, Lord Krusty simply slowed his power to flow until he calmed down.

It was only after the adventurer had stopped looking at him, that he realized that he hadn't been looking at Lord Krusty out of his own free will, but rather he was unable to move, much less think.

He had been a cornered rat so rounded by a group of hungry cats.

He looked around and noticed that several people were catching their breaths as if the very wind had been taken directly from their lungs, both the knights and... By Sigmar, the Princes from the faraway kingdom whose name he did not know was attempting to breathe.

Several women of the house of D.D.D let their power flow calmly and helped the people calm themselves, their presence was like the warm rays of the sun after a storm had passed.

Michael was thankful for the two maidens that were always at Lord Krustys side.

"Well look into this. Tell us if you find something else, Shiroe is already looking for the people that brought the glass here." Lord Krusty said as he began to walk away.

For a moment Michael could only stand there, not knowing what to do. Yet with nothing else to do, he simply chose to go back home and it was then that he saw Lucky sitting at the edge of one of the ice pillars.

The young man was crying, it wasn't his problem, he was old enough to handle his own issues and yet he found himself walking towards him.

As he approached he saw a woman with purple skin, pointed ears and light blue almost gray hair.

She had a long light blue skirt, that hid her armored boots, that gave away their golden color as she stepped forward. Her entire upper body was almost completely uncovered, save for bits of golden armor that covered her shoulders, breast and ribs.

Yet the faint glow of magic, made Michael know that she had the armor hidden in under a concealment spell or she used magic as her primary defense.

A woman that uses her natural gifts to distract her enemies.

Yet the woman had a bow of fruit in her hands.

She's a worshipper a priestess or perhaps someone that simply wanted to give thanks." Michael thought to himself, as he watched her approach Lucky.

For the brief instant the two looked at each other and for the first time, Michael looked at the appearance of his companion.

The young man had short brown hair, a common trait for those that worked underground, it was easier to get the dirt out.

He wasn't very muscular and yet he posses enough strength to carry boulders on his back, the bag he had that day could only be considered that.

His clothes were again a common thing amongst those that worked in the mines, thick pants that were difficult to tear but heavy for walking when wet.

A severe issue in this town, his shirt was something of an oddity, it had several runes engraved on it a d more than one pendant that was common by everyone in the town other native or visiting.

"I see, a chosen weeping." The elven woman spoke.

"..." However Lucky just ignored her.

"Tell me, student of the adventurer, you whose skill has been found worthy by those who hold the power of rebirth why do you cry?"

"Have you been found unworthy? Or have you seen the endless darned of death?" She asked as she placed the bill of fruit next to Lucky.

She took her hands and placed them on Lucky's face letting her warm touch blen in with Luckys own.

"If you want to talk, I have long ears." She said as she looked at Lucky warmly, her eyes letting out a faint blue glow.

"There...there's a darkness when Lord Nautsugu died, there was nothing, everything was gone." Lucky said to the woman, his face still in her arms.

She smiled almost seductively, yet Michael could see this was just her acting normally. The woman was just that naturally attractive.

"So you have seen it. Do not worry apprentice who has yet to become worthy, a who dwell below know of it." She said as she took a seat next to Lucky.

Lucky for his part just looked at her.

"Before we are reborn, the darkness takes us and it's there that the test of life is given, if we hold our forms we return either Human, elf or something new." She said as she pointed at herself at the end.

"Should we not, we go onto the realm of souls, the holy land beyond. Do not fear the darkness, for even it can't hide evil from the light." She said, as her hands began to let out small streams of magic.

"I felt it taking me like it wanted me." Lucky said.

"Aswell it should." The woman said as her eyes looked warmly at Luck before she graves him and placed him in a tight hug, her breast nearly suffocating the young man.

For a moment Michael felt envy, then he noticed that Lucky was actually struggling to breathe, now he just felt sorry for the guy.

"A student of one that holds the power or bringing the dead back to life and allowing the dead to move on.  
Of course, if want you, one day you'll be tested and perhaps you too will become like your teacher." She said as she handed Lucky an apple.

"Has your master forced you into anything? Have you done anything with a sword pointed at you or with the threat of death to anyone you care about?" She asked Lucky, yet the young man didn't answer he just looked down at the apple.

"So what are you crying about, everyone dies eventually. Be it by old age, sickness or a sword." She said as she stood up and began to pray, leaving Lucky to his thoughts.

Michael watched as Lucky simply sat there next to her, as the woman prayed she elegantly reached into her skirt and showed that she had a sword held by a blue light blue belt that was the see color as her skirt.

The colors of both the sheath and the belt blended in so well with her light blue skit that they were nearly unnoticeable.

Yet as she drew her short sword she began to slice every piece of fruit in half, letting their juices mix in with the waters.

When she was done she placed the short sword back into its sheath and reached for something on the other side of her waist.

She took out a jar of honey and died her fingers in it, one by one she placed the honey on each fruits side. Somehow the honey was mixing with the fruits natural juices and as she prayed small specks of mist began to gather.

As Michael continued to watch he saw the woman's eyes begin to glow, it was faint at first, then it was unmistakable.

The mist gathered around her and one by one a sphere of water was formed, then one of ice that looked so delicate that it almost seemed to perfect for the world it was made in.

Finally, the last sphere was made of the waters themselves. Beneath her feet, the runes began to glow, until a magical circle was made.

For the first time in all his life Michael couldn't help but stare, she was beautiful specks of ice began to gather around her and as the light touched the fragments of ice, the form of a dress was seen.

It was like seeing an angel who wore a gown made of stars.

"Wow," Michael said as he looked at her, once again he was driven breathless, but this time he wished the moment would last.

He noticed movement beside him and saw that several people had gathered including more than one priest and holy man.

He turned to look at her not really caring about the group, it was only natural that what she was doing would attract onlookers.

It was then that he saw it, they were like a finely painted picture, an elven maiden praying to her god and the power of the realm listening to her calls.

Besides her a man who held no control over any such power, yet where her fruits were many they were incomplete no matter how sweet they may have been.

The man, however, help a single complete fruit in his hands and looked forward to what was and what was to come, while she looked for any form of guidance.

Slowly the spheres began to lower themselves until they touched the ground and lost their form, the peaches of ice broke and vanished along with the mist.

Michael didn't know when the fruit had vanished, and the jar of honey was empty.

He acted quickly perhaps in an attempt to stop the onlookers from causing trouble or his own selfishness but he called out to Lucky and walked towards him.

The elven woman for her part simply let out a faint smile and seductively began to walk away.

Perhaps she knew he had been watching since the very beginning, perhaps she didn't, none the less he stayed behind.

It was time to talk to his old comrade after all, if what the woman had said Lucky was a member of the House of the Horizon, an official one but a member nonetheless.

[Speech change]  
He walked slowly into the tavern, not because he had any reason to fear anyone in it, but rather because the blasted sun made the already humid place unbearable.

He wasn't in the mood to walk in any form of quick pace or chitchat that was common in such cases.

He was a captain of a free guild and would act as such, even if it killed him. Even if he would rather take off his pants and walk around naked and spend his day inside a bath filled with cold water.

He exhaled as he saw his contact, a member of Yar, someone he would gladly hang if he hadn't been someone that was providing valuable information.

The two women at his side would normally be dressed in overly revealing clothing, in fact, they still were, no doubt a choice made by them considering the cursed heat.

"Care for a cold drink captain." The man said as he drank from a cup and prod another fill of wine into it, showing he hadn't poisoned it.

"What do you want?" He asked the man.

The man just smirked and placed a necklace that let out a faint mist, besides it he placed a small piece of ice and a small flask filled with water.

He knew instantly what these things were, holy water and blessed ice, they came from a realm from this one, one that is said to actively be holding back the taint of chaos and the foul undead.

"First things first... No we ain't there anymore. We're not stupid, we know when a place is too dangerous to stay." He said with a cocky smirk.

"Explain before I kill you and lunch an investigation." He said letting his words be filled with his intention to kill.

The man just smiled. "Then what whose going to tell you when things happen."

There was a moment of silence and what would seem like an instance both women held the man down their eyes burning with witch fire.

"Speak" he ordered.

"I know of a way to force our enemies back... Use the realm gate we used to escape before we were caught when we left the town." The man said as he was held in his trance state.

"Explain." He ordered.

" We don't know how many adventurers truly exist, we only know of a powerful few, but we lack any real knowledge of numbers and military might."

"The town is almost completely undefended only a few scout forces here and there. It has yet to be given the blood baptism that it should have received a long time ago."

The man's voice grew weaker as the moments passed and he was tempted to tell both women to let him go, but he needed to know what Yar was planning.

"So why not lead the enemy to them? One they kill all of the monsters for us and the free guilds are welcomed with open arms.  
Or the town is destroyed and it's treasures ours for the taking." The man said and both women instantly let him go.

He could see the images of the false memories entering his mind.

He needed to give word, sent out messages and warning of what was to come, the waters had become a treasure for both the common man and nobles alike.

Something that humanity held that no one else did and thence fools were planning on destroying the one place that could produce it.

Even if they didn't, what was stopping those responsible for creating the magical structures that made the water in the first place. Simply stop anyone from taking any of the blessed materials.

The free guilds would be left unprotected from the skeletal hords of the undead and once again be torn apart by their never-ending numbers.

He had personally seen injuries heal after coming I contact with the bracelets and it had even become a crime punishable by death for anyone that stole any object made with the waters or ice fragments.

He turned to leave, his heart was beating faster than ever thought possible, he felt like a new recruit in his first true battle.

He briefly turned back and he saw both women were liking the blood that the man unknowingly cried.

That was his choice and he would leave him to its consequences.

Ur-Slaanesh drank the tears of newborn infants, the ones whos first breath of life was that of pain and complete helplessness.

The rarest of delicacies, filled with the brilliance of new emotions of and utter helplessness.

Her wine glass was coated with the infant's screams and their mother's desperate nature to both keep herself and her child alive and the chaotic madness that came with giving birth.

Pain, fear, confusion, delight, relief, love and so much more.

She had yet to take up anew for herself, soon she would become a full-fledged god in her own right, yet that required time and souls and more importantly belief/ worship from mortals.

So she whispered into the ears of men and with the promise of beautiful maidens, she began to act. However, she would do so delicately and carefully so she wouldn't a tract unwanted eyes to her, less those very same eyes attempt to stop her ascension, to godhood.

She whispered to old broken bodies half-truths about her healing their wounds and returning them to something that resembled their prime.

They would never know that it wasn't her power doing such things and even if they did, the mortal's desperate need to believe something, even if it was a lie would make them willingly lie to themselves and ignore the truth in front of them.

Men and women who had lost limbs or had scars that prevented them from finding a mate or simply excluded them from where they lived, heard her and prayed.

They were presented with lockets that had her emblem.

Why did she do any of this? Was she not the Goddes of beauty? Of perfection? Of copulation and birth?

Did the coming of a new life not arrive with extreme pain?  
Did men and women not lie to each other just to bed one another?

Would both men and woman not kill for those they love? Even go as far as to betray one another?

No, the simple answer to all of that was an unwavering yes and she would embody all of it.

She would be beyond perfection, women will flock to her searching for that perfect figure and appearance that would take the breaths of both men and women.

Men would search for the strength needed to do what they must and infants would look to her with their innocent eyes, creatures made of such purity would be hers for the taking.

It will be her not Sigmar that welcomed them to the world and even if he was present there would be three beings welcoming the birth of new life.

Ur-Slaanesh liked the ripe of her poisoned fingers as she thought about Alarielle, the goddess of life would undoubtedly trie to stop her, but she would be unable to.

How many times had the Goddes of life, looked upon a mortal with eyes filled with cold hatred, eyes so cold they burned the soul they looked at.

For a brief moment, Ur-Slaanesh caught sight of something that should not be, yet it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

These waters may be capable of pushing back tainted chaos, but she had found that chaos that occurred naturally in mortals was much more difficult to push back.

The lords of change and the plague carriers would fail in any attempt attempts of corrupting the waters energies, there was undoubtedly a pantheon behind them.

Ur-Slaanesh had already seen many would be Gods a d supposed greater sorcerers be undone by the powers that kept the streams flowing.

So she did the next best thing and lied about her ability to manipulate the energies and behold she could now touch said powers.

Soon a great orgy will begin and it will bring new life as a result, soon. ...Soon.

[Speech change Michael]  
"So I heard the conversation between the two of you. So you saw it, the emptiness." Michael said as he tried to get Lucky to open up.

The young man just looked at the apple held in his hands for a long moment before he spoke.

"So...so you know about it?" Lucky asked.

"Of course I do, I'd be a lossy servant if I didn't. I've lived here since before any of this was even here, back when the town was barely a village, so I've seen the adventurers die more than once." Michael answered somehow his chest filled itself with undeserved pride.

"Ho...how do you deal?" Lucky began to ask before he stopped him.

"By remembering that chaos is far, far worse. The darkens doesn't take anyone still living, if it did how is it that you and I are still here."

"Look around, look at the adventurer's gifts. Have they not shielded us from the drought? have they not kept the dead, well dead? and those that do come back are reborn." Michael said as he waved his arms from side to side, letting Lucky see the many lights and people happily mingling about in the festival.

"As a fellow apprentice of the House of the Log Horizon or Long Horizon if you want to pronounce it that way.  
Look beyond your fears and step cautiously as you walk further into the unknown." Michael said as hep place his hand on his companions head.

"Come with me we are leaving town." He said.

"Where are we going?" Lucky asked his voice filled with hesitation.

Michael smiled and turned to look at his companion.

"Well to the mountains." He said, yet he deliberately kept his voice low so that no one else could hear him.

[Character change]  
She was dead, she was certain of it, but her previous life seemed so far away. She was an elf one whose beauty surpassed that of any other, yet for the life of her, she couldn't remember her own appearance.

She looked down at the flowing waters and looked at her own reflection. She smirked, she looked good, in fact, she looked so good that it was a sin to hid such perfection.

Every curve was in its right place, her legs and breast made many turn her way, her golden eyes that glowed when she was excited or enraged, along with her long silver hair and peach skin. Made her one of the most desired of all the new tribes.

She was one of the Reborn or Night Elves as some had chosen to be called. The name was meaningless if she were to say the truth.

The sun was no threat to any of them, it was simply to hot to walk under the sun, so the night elves simply chose to move around at night. When it was nice and cool.

The mountains were a good place to live really, the beasts that lived in them knew who were their betters and so obeyed the night elves commands.

The many Panthers and Dragons that mingled about were but few that would willingly attack them.

So they were left mostly alone to do their own thing.

She wondered what would happen if she gathered a few maidens and several men to act as if they had no bounds and enjoy each others company.

Would she be hated? The short answer was no, the night elves seemed to be a doting of pretty much everything.

After all their appearance spoke of what they were willing to accept.

Some had hoofed feet, others had horns and some even had wings, then there were the rare few that had all three.

Then there were those that didn't have her pointed ears, but instead had those that humans tend to have and those who had normal eyes instead of the more common purple, gold or blue, that flew with power.

She was thankful for her silver hair and peach skin, there were those with blue and purple skin, as such they had black or blue hair.

Yet hers was the best combination of them all.

She longed for the moment when she would throw a man beneath her and ride him until he could not control himself and he would forcefully make her do what he wanted.

Still, today was a day of celebration and as such many we celebrating, some led prayer and others performed their various spells, for the little ones that had been truly born, not reborn thru the ice.

Oh how she longed to cast her illusions and make a woman cheat on her husband with another man and watch the vengeful man either kill the woman and her lover.

Then there were those rare occasions that the men would bring in the other man's wife.

She heard her Goddes whisper to her ear of the many children that could and would be born.

She briefly fantasies about being captured and taken by several would be slavers and enjoyed each others company as they tried to break her.

If they did a good job then they would have a pleasant memory of ever having tasted perfection, if they didn't then they didn't deserve to exist.

The luminescent blue and purple glow of the ice mixed in with the plant's natural beauty alongside the insects own natural light.

" _Strang,_ " she thought to herself, as she looked at the animals that had made their own light.

Where else did such creatures live, she knew for a fact that they lived deeper into the tunnels and that some even had homes outside of the caves or even the mountains for that matter.

This was proof that her kind was the only one worthy of seeing such beauty, the ever-growing trees and rocks that at times got up and walked on their own were things that added wonder to the world.

And yet in all of this she had to waste for the animals/ Guards to finish their meals.

A group of beastmen had poured thru a realm gate and started attacking everything.

The poor fools didn't even last a minute, the greater bats swarmed them from above and even the tiny insects swarmed them and ate them from the inside out.

All that was left of the beast men were a bunch of dead bodies and the prisoners they had brought with them.

There was no mistaking that the prisoners were in fact, the beast's men's food, for several of them had more than one bite, nothing a quick drink couldn't fix.

The captured people were of course released and shown the exit of the cave, but considering they didn't know where they were and most of them were survivors of whatever place they had come from.

They asked if they could stay and live in the caves or mountains, there was no issue and no one really cared just as long as the people agreed to two simple things, that they must never do.

Don't poison the waters and don't try to enter the relegate protected by the secret guardians.

The waters were an unspoken reason, really even a fool knew why it was best to keep them clean.

The gate, however, that was the place the adventurers came and went from, the moment they arrived they would give power to the pillar and when they left they would do so again.

If something were to disturb that... They might never reinforce the pillar ever gain and all would be lost...

No...only a fool would anger the adventurers, there was a mother realm, thru the gate, but no one was stupid enough to try and see it.

Small children ran about as the adults tried to get themselves sorted out.

She could see the oldest of the ReBorn explaining to them about the adventurers and why they shouldn't try to stop them when they come and go.

It was because of them that her kind even existed in the first place and it was them that could undo them if they ever wanted.

She listened as hands were shaken and promises were made, even as the people were shown the frozen bodies of the undead.

Normally women would scream at such a sight, but the people had just been rescued from a group of beast them that had been eating them no one seemed to make a sound.

"Don't disturb them " a shaman said, as he made a spell showing that if they did, then they risked being torn limb from limb the in frozen undead.

She moved her hands upon the waters as they flowed and saw a fish or better said a fish man waving at her.

They called themselves Deepkin, she called them lazy. They supposedly protected the caves from any attacks that might come from any of the many rivers leading into the caves.

Yet they were usually seen collecting Souls Ice and not much else.

Still, it was a peaceful day, even if the celebrations were a bit dull, but they couldn't leave the caves unprotected, even if she was tempted to go into town and enjoy the festival.

A stream of blue and golden light flowed before her eyes, a soul touched by an adventure.

No, she corrected herself, not one but two.

She followed the winds and soon found herself at the entrance that leads to the town of Jewel, there stood two young men one confident and the other whose will seemed to be weakened.

Her eyes followed the one who seemed to be having a crisis of belief, his body glowed with the power of an adventurer.

"Ab apprentice, and unworthy or perhaps someone who has yet to be worth?" She said as she looked at the two.

The other was no different, but where one looked as he could put up a good fight, the other looked as if he was better suited to be doing research in some lab somewhere.

Yet her eyes caught someone she hadn't seen in a long time walking openly and foolishly under the hot sun.

A soul singer who looked as if she was love struck.

Yes, this could be fun, a Night Elf that was in love and a lair of Unworth to satisfy her desires.

"Guess I should greet the guest and say his to an old friend." She said to herself as she licked her lips lightly.


	7. Chapter 7

She walked calmly and quietly so much so that some would almost say she glided instead of ever laying a foot on the ground.

With a grace only befitting of a high-class elf, she moved seductively, her heartbeat slowed as she looked at the one with short black hair, wearing a long black shirt and dark almost black blue pants.

His soul shined of the villain. "Could he have been found worthy?" She thought but quickly dismissed the thought as the young man had yet to become an adventurer.

His soul had the mark but he was still just a Human.

The other the one with brown hair glowed with the knight's ora, this one was definitely tested and had been found wanting. Yet the mark on his soul remained.

She liked her lips at the thought of securing one or both men for herself. Her children would have the mark as well and perhaps send to full adventurers.

She might even be able to have a great birth, like those before her that had found their soul bonded partners.

Behind them was a night elf of one of the sacred houses within the town. Currently there only existed three great houses, with the fourth and last house awaiting its creation.

The town of Jewel where all the pillars are located is one great house, four pillars are minor houses but the first is the great one, for it was the original there.

It's this house that guards Jewel against attacks from below and from the dead.

The one which she belongs to is tasked with the protection of the gate and securing that any unwanted visitors are either killed, leave or settle down in the mountain with little trouble.

The third was recently created, it was located in front of a road that each lead to a different realm gate.

They would be tasked with watching over the river and the all that come and go from there.

The last house would be the one that secured the Night Elves existence, it will be then that their Goddes would reveal her self to them and once the fourth house opened their eyes and walked once again living...

Then the adventurers would reveal to them the purposes of their existence.

It was them that created the night elves, it was them that could challenge the god of death and give new life to the dead.

Sigmar could give other life to the souls and the Elf Gods might be able to give life to the elves, but only the adventurers could give new life, in a new form...

Secretly many already spoke of a great birth a second god gestating in the ice.

One born from the souls of the dead and the new souls of those to come. He would be the brother of the goddess and it will be he who judges who can relive and can not.

Still, this was now and that was then.

Truthfully a concealment spell hid her every movement, yet she could tell that both men were aware of her presence.

Their eyes glowed with a blue and gold soul fire, a common thing for an adventurer to have.

She dispersed her magic and let them look upon perfection, granted her was mostly naked, but that only increased her beauty.

Everything important was covered up after all and what little she did wear made her have even greater curves.

The one that wore black looked at her with hungry eyes, but the one with the runes on his white shirt kept his eyes on her.

There wasn't any lust in them, nor caution, it was more like he was staring straight into her soul.

She was exposed to him, in every way. His burning eyes made her remember the ice and her memories of one time being part of a greater being.

For a moment she swore she saw her self in tight leather clothing in a dark land that had distant screams. Yet thence memories were not entirely her own and she also remembered a great dragon within and ancient forest.

The moment his eyes closed she felt his gaze leave her.

"This one's mine," she thought to herself, as she walked up to them before the other woman arrived and interrupted her.

"Welcome students of the ancient ones. What do we owe the pleasure." She treated them both and emphasized her last word.

"Forgive us for coming unannounced, but my comrade here wanted to see tour beautiful forest and wonders." Said the one with black hair as he placed his hands over the other one's shoulder.

They were friends, no he had said comrade and even as far as to give a half hug.

She let out a light gasp, as she realized, what stood before her. They were indeed apprentices, yet to be found worthy, but they belonged to the same house.

She swallowed, this had to be handled delicately if she mad one wrong move irreparable damage between relations could and would happen.

She bowed and presented herself.

"Greetings my name is Allure, guardian of this entrance and watcher of the well of souls. Please tell me what are your names." She said attempting to act as a well-behaved maiden.

Both men smiled and stretched out their sweat covered hands. She was repulsed by the smell but shook them nonetheless.

"My name is Michael, record keeper of the house if the Horizon." The one with black hair said.

"My name is Lucky, I'm studying under Lord Naotsugu." The one with brown hair said.

She nearly swallowed her own tongue, at what they had just said.

She needed to find an elder, this was too much for her to handle and if that woman that was now smiling behind their backs managed to secure good relations... Then who knew what might happen.

"Unfortunately I can't leave my post, so if you would wait a moment I can provide an escort." She said as she used a minor spell to call down a bluebird and sent it out with a message to elders.

"Allure, if I may. I could show them around the areas I know." The woman behind them said, even if her smile was easy on the eyes and her voice sounded like honey. Allure could detect her mockery in every word.

She was enjoying her moments of shock.

A young guard soon arrived and told her the elders had allowed her to guide the two into the caves and the mountains for howling they wanted to be there.

Be it a single day or be it several years.

She turned to look at them and smiled as she guided them in, the filth of a woman followed.

How could someone like her be a Soul Singer was beyond Allures understanding, but the Goddes did what she knew was right and if it hadn't been her that gave that excuse of a woman that power. Then who was she to question the adventurers?

Not two step into the cave and the woman took the side of the man named Michael, her love trucked eyes said everything.

She wasn't here for the celebration or the tour, not even to secure relations. She was her for sex and nothing more.

She was planning to get pregnant, she imprinted.

Even if Allure wanted to stop her, it was an offense punishable by death or worse and Allure don't wish that on her worst enemies.

Yet even if that woman did get her wish, Allure was certain it wouldn't be a great birth, perhaps she would have a single child or perhaps twins.

Not the twenty that a great birth assured, she wouldn't be encased in Souls Ice and see each infant form around her, with the greatest of her first batch growing within her womb.

Yet few women would ever gain such an honor.

Pure Souls Ice, is ice that is covered by the adventurer's power, all the while keeping its purity.

It's perfect for women that are having children, for no taint will ever touch the fetus nor the mother.

Yet for some reason even as she thought this Allure couldn't understand why she was taking hold of the hand that belonged to the man named Lucky.

She could hear her goddess whispering, she could hear the many games she could play. Yet a separate voice began to speak within her mind.

It sounded male and he spoke about a large family, both in the sun and in the caves. It seemed that the final choice would her own.

They walked for a few moments, not long really the cold air made by the ice touched the hot air from the outside creating a mist not completely pure, but not entirely tainted.

From time to time a large growling sound could be heard, yet as the elders looked around in the earlier days, they found that it was made by the caves themselves.

The sound was almost as if a creature was snoring, but the likelihood of that was ridiculous. The mountain was home to her kin, several beats a forest, rivers filled with aquatic life and more than one tribe living on the surface.

Where could such a creature be hiding? For many even explored deeper and deeper underground and found nothing but souls ice and some luminescent worms.

Still, they walked until the glow of the roots could be seen, thankfully they didn't have to walk for long, Allure hated leaving her spot near the river, it was the precise location where the rivers split and where the pillar let out the purest waters.

If that spot was ever tainted...

No she had a job to do and she would do it and after today she will begin to teach another, so if a situation like this ever occurred again, she wouldn't be so worried, about the what ifs.

She guided her guests around the twisted roots and the luminescent trees that grew all around them.

From the ceiling, trees grew out word until the reached the outside and created a massive forest, that covered a large area of the mountains.

The trees also grew inside the caves in every direction and as such one would be had pressed to navigate the underground forest without a guide.

Monkeys ran about and lizards hunted them, all around them the forest was alive and with each roar or song of a bird the forest welcomed them.

The flowers opened and closed as they passed, letting out the specks of light that glittered in the air.

As they walked Allure signaled to them the form of a sleeping dragon, that wasn't really asleep but the creature tended to act like that. It was simple act, the dragon loved chasing children until the little ones exited the forest.

It would never hurt any of them, but the creature played with them like that. Some believed that it was someone's pet when it was young and somehow found its way into the caves.

This wasn't what was odd about the creature, no wat was odd was that its entire body was covered in souls ice and rock that glowed as if it was souls ice.

They walked passed a section of the cave that had several small human looking creatures, greedily eating away.

She made sure to keep her guest walking, those things tended to steal everything they could find and didn't keep their agreements.

So as a punishment they were presented with an eternal feast, each one would eat until it was fat enough and pulled away from its meal.

It would be left at the entrance to the surface, near the area where the upper forest met the lower forest.

To this day none have been able to make it out alive. Like, everyone, they had been given a warm welcome and had been warned, but they ate everything they could find and soon objects began to mysteriously vanish.

Their final act of stupidity was then they stole Pure Souls Ice meant for expecting mothers.

Nearly the entire village was slaughtered because of that and the survivors now eat until they can't are fat enough, until the day none of them remain.

Allure wonders at times if they even knew that most of the meat they ate, was actually the people of their own village that had been killed.

Either way, it didn't matter, they would all be dead soon enough.

They soon arrived in an area where a waterfall was located and several souls singers were praying, each one had spheres of ice, mist and water spinning around them.

The lights of memories danced from the waterfall, a single beam of light rising up, holding the discarded memoirs of a past life.

Both men and women prayed for the reborn to find a place in their new lives, for the memories of old not to lock the reborn down and take them unable to leave their newly given lives.

They prayed for the new lives and hoped that the infants would be healthy and live long lives.

Allure could hear the goddess whisper about beauty, about the roles one could take, about the acts of arts, petty, clothing, experiences and more.

She could hear the male voice, speak about the exploration of the world, the chance to see what one could do and the creation of a greater society.

He spoke about families, about the old and the young, the acts of vomiting mistakes and learning from them, as such becoming better people from the experiences.

Thankfully none of her guests really bothered to sag anything and finally, they arrived at the birthing chambers.

Allure and that woman gasped at the beautiful sight, blood pumped through the walls as infant moved inside their sacks and ice holdings. Their umbilical cords still connecting them to their mothers.

One day she will take her place and have a grand birth like them. Allure thought to herself.

The room was filled with infants cries, as new mothers tended to them. Their respective fathers watched with eyes that could kill, for anything that might hurt the infants and their mothers.

Allure could see the look of shock in Lucky's face, no doubt he was left speechless of such a wonderful sight.

New life, little ones who would soon bring in new headaches and new smiles.

She saw the other woman press her breath onto Michael, as she looked at the Pure soul's ice holding the expecting mothers and infants.

Allure suddenly looked down and realized she was holding Lucky in a tight embrace. The man was attempting to not look at her nearly exposed chest, but how could he even look away from her perfect form.

"No" Allure thought as she realized what was happening, but if her suspicions were real, then what would her infants be.

"Would they be as perfect as her or would they be imperfections, twisted by their lower level father." She had imprinted on Lucky and he was her soul bond.

Yet Lucky himself was yet to be worthy and if he ever was found worthy he would be beyond her reach. Certainly, he was lower than her now, bit layer he would be so far above her, that her bound could be severed.

She pulled away, no wanting to think about the implications and felt warm tears trying to come out of her eyes. Yet she held them back, she couldn't allow herself to be seen in couch an unsightly manner.

Despite this she found herself holding the man's hand and guiding the guests in.

(Speech change)  
He blew into his hands and attempted to keep himself warm, it was even more difficult now in days.

They had gathered the largest amount of shades glass possible and loaded the carts to the brink. The cart itself was covered in ice and had a constant flow of water in it.

This was done by simply adding metal pipes and a drain and letting the waterfall from the ceiling of the cart.

The amount of shades glass was ridiculous, this city truly depended on it and yet the treasure held within the city were becoming more and rarer in their form the more they ventured into the city.

Several barrels of water had been left to simply lay in the city and the tormented sectors flocked to them like flies to a rotting corpse.

Somehow the waters drew the souls into them and as time went on the waters seemed to evaporate, forcing the men to have to go and gather more water.

Gems, gold and other precious metals paid the bribes for them to get the glass into jewel, but it was becoming more and more difficult to stay in Shadespire.

The how of the undead nearly stole their souls more than once and with more and more black glass being shipped out the city was somehow becoming more and more restless.

Still, they had found architectural papers that showed how to build the impossibly high skyscrapers and more than one escrow that told how to use different types of death magic.

With every archain weapon recovers the men could face the growing numbers of undead.

Yet something was becoming more and more a parent, the winds didn't blow right anymore.

When wind blows it a person can feel life in it, now that life was gone and it didn't feel like wind anymore, it felt like a ripe of true undeath.

They would soon have to leave this city, they would take everything they had recovered to jewel and live as kings.

Something big was coming and they had to move before it did happen.

[Character change Nagash]  
Peace by peace shades dust was gathered and formed into the bricks made to complete the black pyramid.

How many species had gathered and died attempting to prevent the completion of his masterpieces.

Soon when the last peaces were gathered everything would belong to Nagash, in one simple move he would deny Chaos the souls and worshipers.

Sigmar the Soul Thief and his pantheon will obey him or simply wither away.

Yet there was something, something had be gone to shine, it latched itself into the souls of the dead and the dying preventing them from reaching his domain and those that attempted to prevent this were stopped by in unknown force.

The presence was growing, yet his eyes finally laid upon the town and it's insulting people.

Yet whatever this new power was, quickly hid from his sight.

He searched for ways of reaching this place and making its people pay, yet if he lost concentration on building the black pyramid them his work could be undone.

Yet it was in Shadespire that the answer came a group of people were stealing what rightfully belonged to him.

However, they were also foolishly gathering the needed shades glass to allow his power to bypass the barriers preventing him from destroying the town.

He held off his stronger servants, this way the fools would allow him to bring punishment to those that denied him his due.

Yet something was wrong, a hint of doubt lurked it's way in. It was almost as if the glass being brought into the town was precisely what something else wanted.

He searched through the realms and saw morals protected from his winds by various trinkets and runes, yet be could not find where this presence laid.

Still, whatever it was, it would soon be too late, there was a in brick missing and it was currently being built.

It was over he had won. Nagash had won.

[Speech change Allure]  
Her heartbeat was that of an inexperienced woman about to have her first and yet she couldn't help holding the man's hand.

He was warm, his hand fit perfectly with her own, it was almost as if he was designed to serve her every need.

There was no doubt now, with each passing second her soul called out to his and she could feel herself falling deeper and deeper into lust.

Her goddess called out to her, urging her to give in, the man's voice was almost demanding she embrace her mate.

Nothing mattered anymore, she would take her mate and make her children perfect, no their children will be perfect.

She stopped walking turned around and noticed that the woman was missing and so was Michael.

She graves her soul bond and without warning, she gave him the most passionate kiss she could.

The man was slow to follow but quickly melted into her arms and began to even leed.

Then almost as if the universe was against their union the winds stopped and the united screamed of the Soul Singers echoed through the caves.

The ice glowed so rightly that it seemed as it was attempting to fight off some sort of infection and the many dead and undead shook as if something was attempting to force its way thru.

She quickly graved Lucky's hand and ran to the river she had to know what was going on.

Yet as she passed the waterfall she saw that the waters were gone and the ice was even cracked.

However, after a moment the water began to flow again and the light of memories shined once again.

There were no songs from the birds as they ran true the forest, no the entire place was quiet and only the lashing tree roots were visible.

A loud roar echoed thru the cave and Allure saw what was happening when she reached her designated area.

She lost her breath at the sight of what was happening for the sheer thought of it was ridiculous.

The mountain was angry and had risen to due battle, the mountain was moving and with a loud roar it walked towards the dead lands.

The roar was carried by the winds far of into the distance, past the dead lands and resonated deep within the chasms where the rivers flowed and seemed as if they were oceans.

Slowly all four pillars within Jewel began to glow until finally, the center one shined.

Beneath the town soul singers cried out in shock, something had changed the souls within the ice struggled to stay and sleep their memories away.

The ice was breaking cracks now filled the cave walls and the tunnels warned of themselves collapsing.

Yet the ice glowed and a deep voice sang, with each roar the voice grew louder and louder until it could no longer be ignored.

" **The surface**." It demanded and with little else to due, all Reborn and newly born Night Elves ran to the surface, fearful yet stealing themselves for what they would find.

Far into the distance mountains had risen and now and were now circling the town, each was a beast in its own right and shined with a nature entirely of its own.

One shined with the light of the waters another with the glow of the forest and another had the light of ice embedded in it.

The land shook, y3t it wasn't because the mountains were walking something else was occurring.

The festival was neither panicking nor it in any festive mood any longer and yet the people watched in aw.

Warp Stone glittered in the air alongside the light of memories each rune delicately engraved in every marble, basic rock, warp stone, smooth stone all shined one by one.

The prose was so quick that had the Night Elves not been able to see the energies of the water they would have never seen the prose itself.

Despite this new markings and runic magic were forming all on their own and beams of light began to lift themselves up into the sky.

The songs of the dying and the dead began to join every roar and yet it all sounded incomplete.

Snow began to fall from the lights in the sky yet it never touched the ground, as the light of memories began to mix in with the snow and vanish as they touched.

"A sign" someone said.

Slowly the murders continued until the priest began to speak loudly telling their followers that on this day their gods had blessed the town and yet it all seemed incomplete.

Deep in space a slam smiled, his plan was almost complete he had used every design the town had including it geographical location and its landmarks.

He had copied everything and even imitated the transformation of the land. Despite this, he had not expected the realms response.

Every runic engravement he added was imitated within the original town and even the distant monuments had risen being given life.

All that was missing was the last pillar to complete his creation, yet he could already see the completed work.

A giant clock that measured the lines of life, death, birth, rebirth and the way souls linger.

His original pillar would be a way for him to control such power yet he needed that last peace to be made.

He could make it himself by gathering more ice, yet he somehow knew that the last peace would be special.

The cries of the Deepkin grew so loud that their sorrow drew the god Teclis's attention, the god of the Deepkin observed this new power for a long moment and realized the energy potential.

However, there was a taint within it and something else was flowing, growing. So he began to shine his light hoping to guide this power to the elves favor.

Sigmar heard the calls of humanities unrest but was reluctant to act, his attention was needed elsewhere.

Slowly every trinket necklace, bracelet, ring, eyeglass and so forth made by utilizing the waters or souls ice began to emit the ever growing power.

Allure for her part could only laugh as the sheer stupidity of what she was seeing could not and should not be.

Her mountain home was a massive turtle, behind it was a bear, a tiger walked beside the title and a crawling dragon walked beside the bear.

They were all circling the edges of the lights in the sky and as odd as it might have seemed every step her mountain home gave seemed to leave a trail of ice behind.

The ice itself was making something, something big.

In all honesty, the turtle wasn't moving at any truly significant speed, it was the sheer size of the beast that made it seem as if it was almost running.

 _"I guess he will, no, they will have to learn to live here with me, no us_." Allure thought to herself and attempted to keep her thoughts concentrated, but it was becoming more difficult as the minutes passed.

Lucky walked forward and stretched out his hand, he looked as if he had noticed something she had completely missed.

"The air is different. Allure can you come here a minute." Lucky said as he walked to each side of the caves entrance.

Allure immediately noticed that the wind she felt as the turtle walked wasn't there, instead, the cool air of the tunnels could be felt and in another part, the hot yet cool wind of the main entrance could be felt.

"Do you feel it, the difference?" Lucky asked before he jumped.

It was only a second yet Allure felt her chest brake and was almost overwhelmed with pain. Yet the man simply walked back into the cave.

"Its just like I thought. The mountain might be moving, but the entrance is still there. Well you can't see it, I had to walk backwards but you know what I mean." Lucky said before Allure felt her self-move.

In a matter of seconds, she slapped the fool on each side of his stupid face and brought him into a tight embrace. She thought he had killed himself.

"I thought you died." Allure said as she held the man.

"Well looks like you two are getting along." A voice said behind them.

Allure turned to see who it was but she already knew based on the man's voice.

"So any idea where we are going," Michael said as he walked towards them.

Allure simply smiled that woman as lacked onto Michaels' arm, both of them had their hair a complete mess and Michael looked as he had rolled around in the mud.

The woman looked like that as well, yet where Michael had the all too human look of I just had sex, she was glowing with satisfaction.

Allure felt something, perhaps it was jealousy, she had yet to join with Lucky, but the man felt defeated when they both first met a few hours ago.

Now that feeling was gone replaced with a ripe of confidence, she had seen on Lord Naotsugu.

"Michael, where have you been?" Lucky asked his companion, yet he was letting out a smile that said he knew exactly what his comrade had been up to.

"I was doing research." Michael answered as the woman besides him slightly blushed.

"So are you feeling better now?" Michael asked Lucky.

Lucky smiled and looked at the moving land in front of him.

"Yah I saw it, you know inside the nursery. One moment it looks entirely human, then it looked like an elf with red hair, then like a night elf and after that a combination of it all."

"When I saw him, my fear went away. I get it now, the darkness is a test... Michael thank you." Lucky said as he pointed in front of him.

"If we walk forward we can exit in the same spot where we first came in, but it has to be in this area. It seems the one on the right is really the outside and I don't know where the left part goes." Lucky told Michael.

"Let's just enjoy the view for now. I'm sure Master Shiroe and the others are already doing something about this or it was in their plans, to begin with...besides it's not like something bad is happening." Michael said as he and the soul singer shared a kiss.

(Speech change )  
The people's eyes widened with horror and the free guilds prepared themselves to fight for their lives.

Hundreds of skeletons marched their eyes no longer burning with witch fire, each held a rock in its bony hands.

Everyone fully expected that the evil they had attempted to escape, had finally reached them and was going to finally kill them all.

Yet the attack never came.

Each stone was piled on top of another until a great wall was built, slowly rack skeleton breath out a stream of cold air and froze the rocks in place.

Those that could still see, noticed that the skeletons bodies were being held together with ice.

Bone hands dug into the dead lands tearing thru dirt and stone pulling discarded weapons and useless wagons.

Dead animals picked clean by scavengers and the natural element rose up taking formation.

The strongest of them all looked as if it was a combination of stone, ice, a ripe of ghost and as strange as it might seem water. He towered over the others and slowly several others similar to himself joined him.

Others varying in size and with one or two of what the strongest had ordered the skeletons around.

Soon the army that stood in the dead lands had risen, but we're all looking at the opposite direction, keeping their backs to the people and the pillar that produced water for the river.

(Speech change)  
The Knight Captain was not pleased he was forced to leave Jewel for an urgent message his men had sent him, bug it only said that he should get to the border and see for himself.

So he took the fasted horse and rode as fast as he possibly could.

His men wouldn't bother him unless it was important and if they had kept information, then it was too delicate for anyone to know.

He soon caught sight of his men and the prisoners, but as he bearded their location he could see something that shouldn't be.

The unnatural energy were calming down and he could see Pyramids made of marble as far as the eye could see.

Each pyramid varied in size but one thing remained consistent it was made of white marble stone and there was a lot of them.


	8. Chapter 8

The ground itself was moving unwilling or perhaps uncaring for any form of the natural laws that governed nature.

Yet as he looked at the lands before him he had to remind himself that not even a day ago it was impossible to see past a certain point.

Earthworms slithered on top of one another, thousands perhaps millions of them moved about in the open as if something prevented them from growing below.

The sun was slowly setting and as he finally reached the location where the prison camp was, it was only then that he began grasped the sheer scale of what was beginning to happen.

As far as the eye could see, the land slithered, each small glitter of light was a different worm, moving on top of dozens just like it.

As he got off his horse he noticed that none of the prisoners had their hands tied and some even held makeshift weapons made of either the bones of some unfortunate soul or an old rusted scrap they must have found.

He saw one of his men walking back from the land of worms and saw him desperately drinking the water, he gave him.

Behind him ware several prisoners all doing the same.

Finally, the men noticed him but instead of saluting they just looked at him with growing dread.

The scout gasped for air and handed the prisoner his cup and the filth drank from it, he drank it was the last drop of water in the realm.

"It's the same thing, sir, we can't walk past a certain point but we can now see what's over there." The scout said as he pointed at the pyramids in the distance.

The knight captain however simply looked at him and asked.

"Why aren't the prisoners tied up?"

The scout's eyes widened for a moment and for a brief instant he processed the question.

"They can run away if they want sir, but they ain't making it far by the time it gets dark. If the skeletons don't get them, then the animals will." The scouts said each word was accompanied by a gasp for air.

"There are statues of men with arms for blades, at least the upper halves of their bodies look like men. Whatever is the lower half is an unholy thing."

"Statues of giant scorpions and black cats and the worms are everywhere. ... Captain, there's something you should know..."

"... There's a type of water system leading all the way up to the area where the forest it. You know where the new pillar is set to be built, we couldn't follow the thing but my guess is that it reaches all the way to those pyramids." The scout said his words holding a growing fear.

He felt himself beginning to understand what his men were trying to say, he turned back to look at the direction of the town and realized that even as the beams of light could be seen from a days ride away, they were faint, almost to the point of being invisible.

He could see the distant mountains moving, but they seemed faint almost as if they truly hadn't moved at all.

He took in a deep breath and was about to give the prisoners and his men an order when he caught sight of something that should have been impossible.

Skeletons with patches of ice all over their bodies began to rise from the worm covered lands.

They wore an ancient armor that was covered in gold, even if that golden armor had worms slithering inside it.

His men drew their weapons and the prisoners prepared themselves to fight for their lives, yet the skeletons simply began to dig.

One by one, then ten by ten, until there were dozens going the same all piling dirt clearing the sand and worm covered lands.

Whenean area was clean enough they would all breath out their ice-covered breaths and harden the gathered dirt.

Dozens of skeletons became thousands, some the size of children not even ten years old.

They all dug into the desert lands, revealing a marble path that led straight to the distant pyramids.

However, their work was far from complete so they continued to work, either unaware or uncaring fror the knights and the prisoners.

"Sir we can't keep this hidden we have to tell the empire we need reinforcements." The scout said as he looked at the growing number of undead.

He stood there for a second digesting the scout's words and saw a woman dressed in far too revealing clothing, dancing in the distance in the direction of the pyramids.

What little clothes she wore were so white that it seemed that the sands never touched her.

She danced with an elegance few could ever match, it was only an instant but one that seemed to last an eternity.

He found himself staring at a blue orb in the sky, he nearly felt himself begin to laugh as he realized he was looking at a world from afar.

Yet as he looked around he found that he stood inside an ocean where the same beams of light shot into the star covered sky.

Men and women dressed in armors he did not know of slept inside the ocean, they however stood as if awaiting orders.

It was only a moment but he felt a pair of warm hands touch his face and he saw the same woman looking at him

"My husband, tell him." She said as the image of Lord Naotsugu was burned into his memory.

It was only an instant, but when he realized he was standing in the edge of the now living dessert, he noticed that all of his men and the prisoners were caught in a form of trance

"Captain, we have to tell Lord Naotsugu, you saw her two didn't you?" The scout said now fully understanding that they were all ill-equipped to handle this situation.

Still, he couldn't just leave and so the knight captain would have to wait to give word to the adventurers once morning came.

A person could travel at night in a large group, but alone... He would be lucky if he could make a good twenty feet before he died.

Still looking at the beams of light almost made it seem like some sort of countdown had be gone.

(Shadespire)

It was supposed to be the greatest amount of salvaged material they had gathered, precious gems and metals of all kinds, enough for them all to live as kings and start several kingdoms.

They had gathered so many places of machinery and magical artifacts that even the mightiest magic users would be hesitant to anger any of them.

It was supposed to be... They had just loaded the last barred of shade glass onto the wagon when the screams of would b3 treasure hunters began to follow one after another.

They were inconsequential after all they weren't apart of the group.

That is until more and more specter and living skeletons began to gather.

Their number grew so create that even attempting to flee the city had become impossible.

Their gathered loot of gems and gold had been forsaken for the far more useful weaponry and magic scrolls.

Slowly all treasure hunters had been pushed back until they were all in one spot, granted it was a rather large spot, but the results were the same.

The living had nowhere to run.

Then a cold wind blew and the streets of shadespire froze, from the wagon a being tore through a wall of ice that had formed itself around the shades glass that had been its prison for countless years.

Caught somewhere between undeath and rebirth, it began to freeze all undead near it and those that resisted the change were broken into dust.

Spikes of ice tore into the gelatinous flesh of the rotting dead and covered the dead and the dying.

With one move of its hand a pale horse was grasped by its neck and frozen where it stood before it emerged covered in an armor made of glowing blue ice.

It looked to them as it pointed at the wagons filled with all of the gathered treasure.

"You have taken nothing of importance, leave before the real fight begins." It said as it's voice sounded like howls in the wind.

Glowing worms filled ancient wagons with all sorts of freshers be they jewelry or otherwise but none dared to speak out, all anyone could do was run away.

Skeletal figure watched them ride away with all of their loot, he knew where they were headed so there was no point in stopping them.

He knew of the kings and queens after all he had dreamt of them.

Those fools were planning to flee to the town where the adventurers lived and so he gathered everything he could from the surrounding area.

Beneath his feet worms slithered their numbers so great he couldn't possibly count them all.

Alone they were weak but together they could even move buildings.

They dragged the various barred that contained what little water still remained in the city.

His golden yellow eyes shined as he looked at his own reflection.

This city and all its treasures belonged to the Reborn and the reborn belonged to the Adventurers.

Soon this dead city will live once more, soon he will join his brothers and sisters in the sleep of rebirth, soon ... The adventurers will look upon the fruits of his labor and be pleased.

That day he will send and become an adventurer. He will join his maters and serve in the truest form.

The sound of bone hands and tormented cries of the dead and the undead reach his ears.

"Soon," he says to himself..." But first, all of the has to be removed."

(Speech change Nehekhara)

Thousands of worms moved upon a fallen figure, his weakened defeated body still holding the sword made of warp stone.

The sword still held the presence of the ancient long gone desert gods.

The presence of the necromancer nagash, lingered like a poison that could never be washed away.

The man felt the world around him and remembered the long-dead kingdom and the fools that were its leaders.

He remembered the black pyramid and the three hooded figures that released him and gave him his sword.

Slowly the man rises up and only sees the dead kingdom, nothing but sand, pyramids and the broken monuments of a long dead people.

However, there is something else.

The many worms speak of champions that know not of death, but their energies also speak of a goddess that lives only for pleasure alone and a god that wants the prosperity of his people.

He listens to their energies and learns of the town not too far from his location, it was easy to find all he had to do was follow the lights.

His empire was dead, his people's souls gone only a few remain, yet trade can still occur and with it come those that seek a better way of life and that meant new subjects.

Nehekhara will rise once more. He emperor Alkadizaar swore it.

(Speech change Lucky)  
He had seen it, Lucky didn't know what it was, but he saw it.

It was a giant whose body was covered in runes, one moment it was the common blue skin color of the reborn, the next it could pass off as human.

The sleeping god had a set of greater horns that seemed as if they let off a type of energy.

It's mighty wings wrapped themselves around his body like blankets, they glowed as if they were made of the same ice that now covered the tunnels below jewel and the caves.

Yet despite all of this in the next passing second the creature looked completely human.

Its human form was so pale it was almost as white as the milk the cows gave.

Yet as it slept Lucky could see several worlds forming around it. Create wars were fought in one, yet in another a vast field and several small cottages holding several families and their livestock.

One world was nothing but fire and another was made of nothing but metal. Yet even as the worlds grew around it, the darkness separated each world.

Lucky had seen people drift into the darkness those that stayed as people and didn't break apart were covered in ice and those that didn't appeared sleeping inside one of the worlds.

Then the creature turned back to its night elf form.

Yet lucky had seen something he had never expected to see.

He had seen lord Naotsugu, master Shiroe and the rest of the adventurers stood apart from the god, their eyes glowing with their own respective energies.

Lucky had seen them standing above several kingdoms.

However lucky had seen something else, there was a chain connecting him to the night elf woman, the closer the two were 5o each other the more he felt as if she was meant for him.

Lucky knew why he had seen all of this, the sleeping god had shown him what was happening.

Above jewel massive portal was beginning to open and all of the strange events that were happening was the towns itself counteracting the energies from the portals.

A countdown had begun and the god would sleep no more when the woman, no when Allure had pulled him away, he was met with the sight of lord Naotsugu, standing over him.

He was like a giant covered in an armor so heavy no man could wear it. Yet his eyes no longer held their kind nature, now they looked at him with such overwhelming pressure that Lucky would have sworn he could have been crushed under Lord Naotsugus gaze.

Now as a stream of light shot from one of the pillars straight at the moving mountains, lighting up miles of runs that were never seen by human eyes.

Lucky knew at that moment that the first of eight bells had rung...

The sun had set and the lights were now clearly visible, lucky wondered how things had changed.

No it wasn't that they had changed, it was more like a routine had set in, go look at the ground to understand what conditions are needed to produce this kind of result and repeat.

Now he felt that, the routine he had become so accustomed to would soon be gone never to return.

A man's head came thru the cave and soon an entire army followed him the moment he had walked in.

Lucky had heard that there was royalty visiting but he hadn't seen any of them, now they were all leaving.

Yet the way the guard knights was almost as if the entire situation was normal, like if they had run into something similar in the past and learned how to handle such a situation.

As a royal carriage passed by lucky saw two women and a greater knight sitting inside it.

Their bodies let out streams of power, they were undoubtedly adventurers, but lucky had never seen any of them before.

He followed the royal escort all the way towards the pillar inside the mountain and watched them as they headed to the protected area above.

The monsters didn't attack only because of the adventurers that speed out of the carriage.

There was a change in the air, one would think that someone such as him who spent most of his time looking at dirt, rocks and so on wouldn't notice the change, but they would be wrong.

Lucky could feel a ripple in the air itself like a change was about to happen, one that was unavoidable and would occur one way or another.

It was only when he looked up that lucky noticed several waves of electricity colliding with each other, it was almost like if the mountain was preparing itself for one final act, one last create show, before it went to sleep again.

What was going on lucky would most likely never know and even if he ever did, he was certain that he would have only understood the faintest of it.

So he just decided to enjoy himself and the company of his destined partner.

He saw how the animals in the mountain acted and how even the dish men collected the ice that grew inside the streams.

He enjoyed the peace and hoped it would never end.

As lucky took in a deep breath, he heard a single drop of waterfall, then another and another until it began to rain.

"Rain" lucky thought as he looked to the ceiling of the cave.

Howling had it been since the last time he had seen rain?

Jewel had never seen rain, not the natural kind anyway. At least as far as he was aware of, it had never rained, the people depended heavily on the pillars for their water and yet he felt as if he wanted to cry.

The rain felt like teardrops, each one for every painful memory.

"Son of the fortress, please come with us." An elderly voice spoke inside luckys mind.

When he looked around lucky found Allure and Michaels soul bond, kneeling in front of a reborn.

He had two glowing horns, no bigger than a pinky finger, runes glowed all over his body, yet they didn't seem to be carved into him or painted on.

No, they seemed like a birthmark, like if the man had been born that way.

"Follow me, son of Naotsugu. However, your wife must stay." The old man spoke inside lucky mind, yet his mouth never opened.

"Waite I'll come with you," Michael said, as he separated himself from the soul singer.

"Son of the Villain, it is of no need for you to come. We cannot give you what you seek, your answer lies elsewhere." The old man said before his eyes glowed and a portal opened in front of him.

He turned to look at lucky as if waiting for him to step thru when lucky did just that the old man followed.

They emerged inside another tunnel one that had yet to truly form, yet there was ice all over, but the ground and the walls for that matter, looked as if something had broken thru.

"We elders are different. We hold knowledge of things the others don't. Yet we are not all-knowing." The old man said, before stopping and pointing at a post with a reborn frozen inside it.

The reborn opened his eyes and the ice melted around him. The sound of water falling soon followed and one by one more reborn began to gather.

"Can you hear them?" The old man asked lucky.

"No," Lucky answered.

"They are introducing themselves to each other. Who they were and what they know, they look into each others eyes, do they know what house they belong to." The old man told lucky.

Suddenly all around the reborn elders, the ground froze and began to lift itself up, while the ceiling of the tunnel began to split itself open slowing them to reach the surface.

The ground around the old man and lucky did the same thing and they followed the reborn to the surface.

Soon the sight of frightened people all around them caught the attention of lucky and as he looked around, he noticed that he was actually in the area where the last pillar was built.

The thing was there was a giant wall surrounding a new village and several knights and free guild members aiming their guns at the elder reborn.

The elder reborn just prayed in front of the pillar and the pillar glowed before rain began to fall.

The sounds of marching feet began to grow louder and louder and lucky ran to the side of the wall and his eyes widened, as hundreds or hundreds of thousands of frozen skeletons prepared themselves to match.

There were skeletons, that towered over the frozen ones, yet they almost looked like incomplete elder reborn.

"Humans... Remember... where...you... come... from." The elder reborn said as the skeletons began to march.

"Generals and soldiers, only reclaim what belonged to them, do not take wat was never theirs." The elder reborn said as the skeletons marched.

Lucky could only look as the skeletons marched away. The taller more powerful obese simply watched until the roles they stood behind left and it was only then that the left as well.

"What are you going to due?" Asked a frightened woman.

"Your towns, villages and cities. They will surround them in souls ice and use their power to create another pillar there."

"Did you not wish to return home?" One of the elders reborn said to the woman.

The woman however flinched as the elder's eyes glowed at her.

"But there are monsters." A man said.

"Which is why we sent soldier." Another elder said.

"What do you want?" A man who looked like if he was made out of muscle asked.

"To please our creators and be found worthy of knowing our purpose." The elders all spoke at once.

"And who are thence creators?" The muscular man asked as he signals to the men to lower their weapons.

"The adventurers..." The elders said, somehow leaving a heavy pressure in the air.

Lucky could only look at the sky and all its colors despot it being dark.

"Strange it's still raining." Lucky thought to himself.

For some reason, each raindrop felt heavier than the one before it, lucky felt like if he wasn't careful he would be crushed under the weight of so much water.

For a moment he felt the world spin and he realized that he was in fact underwater.

Lucky was about to hold his breath except he realized, that somehow he was still breathing.

He stood in front of a giant dome, it was made of ice that looked like a single star flickering the depths of the sea.

Lucky could see, the dead sleeping inside and for a brief moment he remembered the birthing chamber he had been in earlier.

Lucky could see more than one fish person and what looked like elves being born, but every time one was born, a strewn of power fell from the ice around them.

He could see several fishmen holding several bags full of ice and place it on the dome.

At least two out of every three bags went to the dome, the last one went to building smaller versions of the pillars in jewel.

The pillars were barely as tall as his knee, but they seemed to be going the same thing the bigger ones did for jewel.

It helped that the small pillars were scattered all over the place and some were even hanging in the water just floating there, not moving despot the current of the water.

"Pure souls ice, for the children. Souls ice for protection" the Oldman said as he pointed at something in the distance.

Lucky almost felt himself fall to his knees, dozens if not more dead walked the waters, all slowly freezing where they stood.

Finally, the world turned dark and lucky found himself in that dark place he and lord Naotsugu had been taken to by the miniature realm gate.

The world was dark lucky couldn't see it, but he could hear it, the once quiet place now echoed with the sounds of mealy hitting metal.

A brief flash of fire blinded him to his surroundings, it was no different from standing in the darkness, he couldn't see anything.

"Waaaa!" Something screamed directly in front of him, its hot breath stanked with the smell of blood and rotting meat.

Then the cold wind blew and the only thing that remained was the sound of the fighting that raged all around him.

"Why do you have your eyes closed?" The old man asked.

"They are open but I can't see anything." Lucky said to the old man.

"Not your normal eyes, but the ones of your soul, open them." said the Oldman, his voice now filling lucky mind.

"I don't know how" Lucky said.

"If that was true then how are we talking." The Oldman said while pointing at Lucky.

Lucky's mind began to scream in agony, yet he didn't say anything if he had to compare it to something it would have been like someone tearing whole in his head.

It was only when the pain stopped that lucky realized he could see unborn fighting everywhere.

Lucky was about to see who or what they were fighting when the Oldman graves his shoulder and in an instant he found himself standing next to the reborn woman, his partner Allure.

Lucky could see his reflection in Allures eyes, his own eyes were glowing brightly a golden yellow.


	9. Chapter 9

It was strange he couldn't explain it, Lucky looked at the world around him, it hasn't changed, yet try as he might he knew that he somehow could see more of it.

He could see the insects glowing on the walls, the water flowing letting out its small glow and yet all of this was an everyday thing.

He knew he was seeing something but he didn't know what it was, that is until he looked outside of the cave and noticed that as the rain fell, runes floated in the air connecting to the second pillar and meeting up with the mountain that was shaped like a tiger.

The runes seemed to overlap with the ones on the ground, almost as if they were meant to fill in the blanks, the previous ones had and yet it all liked so incomplete.

Lucky could feel Allure gently touch his face as the voice of a woman whispered to them about the fun they could have together.

Her hands were warm and her glowing blue eyes seemed gentle, Lucky was about to give in but a musical like voice stopped him.

The man's voice sounded like an elf but stronger, more powerful and yet incredibly distant.

Lucky could hear the whispering of the sleeping god, speaking about future children and the lives they could, would have.

This time there was no other voice and Lucky gave in, he let Allure hear what he heard and she let him hear, why she heard.

That night both the male and female voice mixed and both lucky and allure found themselves drawing the other back from the depths of insanity.

One moment one was the anchor sinking the other the bout that floated above the waters, then they would switch places.

They pulled echo the back as the woman's voice laughed madly, the woman hated them for not giving into her, yet she made their experience greater with each touch they shared, attempting to make them fall, only for that sleeping god, to draw them back as they looked to each other.

[Speech change Cathy]  
The festival continued through the night, no one really carrying about the rain. Jewel was a town where water was everywhere, it even floated in the air considering the environment.

So everyone was prepared to be soaking wet and even the merchants with things that shouldn't get wet were prepared for just a situation.

Cathy watched as young girls ran in the rain and thrue I've crystals at some of the boys, other people said their goodbyes and went home for the night.

Yet the town didn't seem pty, no there were a lot of blue people walking around now. Their appearance was odd, to say the least, but the adventurers had seen and even shaken hands with some of them, so a lot of people simply chose to either ignore them or treat them as customers.

Cathy felt a small tug inside her close, her two children were sleeping.

Word had gotten around that the tree children were sons and daughters of the adventurers, so when she heard the little ones running around she was surprised they recognized her instantly.

Despot being so small, they tried to help around the house. Even if they fit in the palm of her hands, they cleaned the hard to reach places, their pink and green eyes told her she had a boy and a girl.

The look on her mothers face when she saw the little ones was a combination of shock and horror.

Shok because as strange as it was Cathy's father had accepted the little ones without any real issues.

The man had passed it off as something that happens inside jewel, anywhere else it would have been an issue, but not in this town.

Horror because despite of her mother's constant pleas for Cathy to get a would-be husband, she was technically a grandmother.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Cathy's mother's horror soon turned to acceptance and even now insisted on drilling Cathy in the proper ways of raising children.

Still, the little ones were cute and in fact, even called her mom/ mama, but it was time to go home, it was getting too cold for them.

She had begun to walk home when she saw a woman barely dressed in anything at all dancing, in fact, a piece of cloth covered the woman's breast, and her undergarments were visible as she danced.

No even if simply standing anyone could see them and her skirt, if that's what it was, didn't cover anything at all.

The woman danced as ice formed around her and headed out of jewel, she danced in the direction where the new pillar was supposed to be built and the ice followed.

Cathy was about to go search for a guard only for her to turn around and see one standing behind her, his eyes were filled with rage but he did not move.

When the woman was gone only then did he speak.

"Don't follow that thing, friend or for, it wanted you to follow it. I'll escort you home." He said to her.

Neither one of them said anything after that and their walk was quiet and uneventful, that is until they reached Cathy's house.

"You've noticed it haven't you?" The knight asked.

Cathy looked at him, but didn't know what to say. The knight took her silence and continued talking.

"Jewel was peaceful, but its time of peace is coming to an end. I don't know if its the adventurers or something else, but the town has begun to protect itself." He said as he looked back to the main town.

"Look at this place, where else can you find such a greater place..." He said before walking away, it was like he knew something that he didn't want to think about, but none the less needed to let out.

Cathy watched the knight walk away and when he was gone she entered her house and prepared for bed.

That night she dreamt of several runes carving themselves in an unseen place that connected to the minds of everyone in town.

She dreamt about a faraway place where a giant castle floats in the sky, she found herself dreaming about adventurers she had never seen shaking hands with men she had never heard of.

She saw a world where people with wings flew and a world where the dead came back with fire and ashes.

Finally Cathy dream of a place where the adventurers stood and where an untold number of roads led in every direction.

Then it happened she found herself taken by a beautiful woman, who spoke with a voice that seemed to soothe her, they kissed and the woman knew what to do.

But when the act was about to be done, Cathy saw what was really in front of her and she screamed.

Teeth, tentacles, blood, magic, drugs of all kinds, were being poured into the creature like if it was growing stronger feeding on the desires of people.

She awoke covered in cold sweat, however, Cathy somehow knew she had barely escaped whatever it was that had graved her.

The day started like it usually did, slow, she helped bring in the firewood her father had prepared before going to work and she began to help clean out their home.

The little tree children moved things about and dealt with any plants or ice peaces that were littering the yard, normally she would have gone off to work on something else but because of the festival, nearly all of the extra work was put on hold.

Everyone knew better than to simply agree to work with someone else, with ought any real way of knowing who they were.

The day had started off slowly, then a man she had never seen before arrived he held a large gun at his side that held four barrels, his body was covered in scars and he held a kind but fierce smile.

Then a knight came thru perhaps an hour after, his armor was dented scratched and had holes in areas that seemed to signal that the man had survived several injuries that should have killed him.

Then a group of women followed they each wore a long dress that was cut in such a way that it would show their private areas whenever the wind blew or if the women walked too quickly.

Finally, several carriages and wagons arrived, they were all filled with gold jewelry and other materials she did not know, yet none e of the men even so much as turned to look at her direction.

Behind them arrived several men and women all in different forms of dress or undress, either scared or injured, yet they all headed into town. Some stopped to get a drink of water others simply asked for the nearest tavern one woman in particular simply said she was looking for a man to get her to go whiled.

The day had started off slow and the festival continued, that night her father arrived and told her of a story of what the men who dug the paths for the waterways. He said that rje men claimed that the entire area where the pillar was set to be built was already covered in ice and that a path made of ice led from it directly back to the jewel.

Cathy membered the woman she had seen the night before, but before she could say anything, several men arrived, their loud voices made the men in the tents and houses see who they were.

When her father returned he simply said they the free guilds had arrived.


	10. Chapter 10

The sounds of the festival continued but both the lights and the music were just a tyni bit quieter, two days the festival had gone on, some stalls opening during the day others during the night. Jewel was becoming a town that never slept, fortunately for her, Cathy did sleep, unfortunately she also dreamt.

She found herself standing in the middle of a stone road where dozens of injured knights, men and children walked carefully trying not to make any loud noises, only stopping when when the sounds of something dragging caught their attention.

They looked as if they had Br eaten in days and they all looked so exhausted that even the strongest of them all could fall dead at any moment.

Still the men and boys continued walking, hoping to reach wherever they were headed.

Then she heard them the sounds ofarching feet, dozens became hundreds and hundreds became thousands, none making so much as a sound, all however heading to wards the exhausted men.

Skeletons and rotting corpses ran towards the men and all of the defenders prepared themselves to die, the skeletons ran with an unnatural speed, no longer hindered by the limitations of the living. Then they all froze, ice spikes froze every skeleton, forcing their green witchfire to slowly go off, never to return.

"Where?" Said a towering figure with glowing green blue eyes. It's skeletal form was covered in ice, the ice itself looked as if it was some sort of armor, yet the creature looked neither alive, nor undead.

None of the men said anything only a small boy pointed at a mountain far into the distance, the creature walked past the men and behind him, thousands of skeletons whose frozen bodies seemed to frees the land beneath their feet followed, until a much larger skeletal creature walked past the men.

The creature handed them all a peace if ice and told the men to drink before it walked away, never bothering to look back.

Cathy felt the world turn and she found herself sanding in a place that seemed as if it was made of excrement and she saw them hundreads of skeletond skeletons sinking into the filth, their ice covered forms mixing in with it, forcing the taint away, until only a clean lake was left.

She could see the faces of people that had died because of diseases begging for relief of their eternal torment, only to be frozen wnen they were caught in ice, she saw an infant calling to his mother, a man that begged for forgiveness, an woman who died from infection in her private areas.

Slowly every skeleton began to walk until they all stood side by side and began to frees themselves in place creating a wall of ice, somehow they all walked backwards leaving the wall behind, one by one they began to digaway the faith and began to clean the soil.

Cathy realised after watching for a while, this entire area used to be a town that was now abandoned, or perhaps all of its people were now gone. The skeletons were just cleaning out the infection.

Cathy found herself sading in battlefield, where wave after wave of skelons they thems3lves at a fortress and the the defenders fired they black powder weapons destroying as many as they could, however the skelons simply rose back up and renewed their attack.

Then suddenly all of the invading sketons stopped, their glowing eyes made of only whitchfire turned to look at a small force that had arrived, then they charged, skeletal warriors met with ice skeletons and either tore the ice ones apart or were they themselves were broken under the ice skeletons weapons.

Yet there were to many skeletal warriors, their witch fire threatening to melt all of the ice covered ones, then one by one the ice skeletons exposed blanketing the areas their broken remains were thrown or held in.

It was then that like a wave millions of skeletons whose whitchfire fused them together asked over the ice covered area, and were themselves blown away as a towering figure brought down its battle hammer apon the wave of dead.

Somehow Cathy knew what she was seing, the armies of the undead were being asultued by the armies of the unborn.

She woke up to the sound of her mothers voice her father was about to he'd out and the two of them were going to say their goodbies.

So she got out of bed and gave hear father a tight hug, even as her father left they could see a wagon and carriage filled to the blink with scrolls, books, jewels, weapons, gems and more arrive their owners all looked exhausted, like if none of them had dared to try and get some sleep.

As she saw her father walk away and head out to work Cathy closed the door the moment he vanished from sight, now to far to be seen. Unfortuanally a knock made her stop and her mother opened the door.

There standing at the door was a woman with short black hair that turned white, dressed in almost no cloths, smiling at her mother.

"Greeting, I am the third wife of lord Naotsugu of the house of the horizon, I will like to speck with your daughter if possible." The woman said to her mother.


	11. Chapter 11

The woman had a bright smile on her face as she said those words, slowly her eyes widened as if just realizing something that should have been obvious to anyone else.

"Please forgive me for my rude new, my name is Menace." She introduced herself.

Cathy could see her mother giving the woman a look, the kind that said how do I get this wire person to leave quietly. Yet there was a feeling of hesitation in her mothers look, like if she was considering the woman's words. Cathy watched her mother swallow slowly before she said anything.

"Whatever you have to say to my daughter, you must say it in front of me." She said.

"Agreed" Menace answered her before she lifted up her right arm and brought forth a chair made of water, not ice but water.

Cathy saw how the little clothes the woman wore became almost transparent, considering she already was wearing hardly anything at all, the view she and her mother would soon be met with would be a dangerous one.

A faint moment passed before Menace cleared her through and began to speak. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear if you fail in just one test, then there will be no more training." Menace smiled before quietly laughing to herself.

"The next thing I must know is the kind of man you would like to be wed to." Manage said and raised her hand towards Cathy's mother before she could say anything.

"A dancer will bond with her true love when the time comes if you don't believe me just look at us, three wives. My husband is a foolish man that likes the view of woman's undergarments... The lady of the present moon, the lone performer and myself wear hardly anything at all." Menace said as she pointed out, the three woman's similarities.

"First song eye of the beholder." Menace said as the word was swept by a tidal wave of water.

Cathy found herself standing in the mines and at the distance she saw her father working with a woman that had pointed ears, red hair and glowing yellow eyes. Cathy saw her father lay the woman down before planting a firm kiss on her lips, the mine began to be filled with the voices of men and woman all bearing for the adulterous couple.

Cathy was about to scream when her mother spoke. "She stopped breathing, something in the dirt nearly killed her." She said.

Suddenly Cathy realized the woman was gasping for air and that sticking out of the wall was a skeletal hand. Cathy turned to look at Menace only to see the woman looking at her mother.

"Song two, voiceless words." Menace said as the world was frozen in ice before shattering.

Cathy found herself in the middle of a village she didn't know, she stood there as skeletons whose bodies were held in a green unnatural fire chased after the villagers, they clawed and they tore the flesh of any they caught, be they animal, children, men or woman.

Then suddenly the villagers stopped running as a large number of skeletons whose bodies seemed to have been frozen ran towards them, horses, oxen, wolves and even a dragon ran towards their direction. The people formed a circle and prepared themselves to die only for the frozen skeletons to climb on walls and fly above them, completely ignoring the still living villagers.

Cathy watched as a frozen skeleton unleashed a black powder weapon against the vase of skeletons with green which fire, some more human looking frozen skeletons, gave the surviving villagers water and froze any injuries they had, before walking away.

Cathy saw how specter that passed right thru buildings and even the undead cut thru the frozen skeletons like fire thru paper, only to be caught in mid-air, by a spear made of ice. Towering figures froze the lands around them, encasing all dead and undead leaving those still alive untouched.

The strongest of the frozen warriors held a specter by the throat, before freezing it in place and tearing off a golden iron chain it wore. The sector screamed, in a how like voice before turning into dust that blew in the wind.

No one said anything, the villagers just watched fearfully, all except on. A small boy that held out a single dagger, the largest of the skeletal warriors took it and gave the boy an arrow made of ice.

Cathy just watched but her mother said: "Thank 's saying thank you and the skeleton just said your welcome."

Cathy watched Menace turned her head now completely looking at her mother.

"Third and final song of the day, today." Menace said and they all stood in a war zone where skeletal soldiers fought against deranged madmen that only wanted blood and skulls, war was all they cared for, war was all that mattered to them.

The largest of the skeleton soldiers fought against creatures, no daemons, it fought one with a battle ax it held in its right arm and fore another daemon with its left hand, the daemons screamed in a hate-filled madness, then the skeletons exploded freezing the madmen where they stood.

Slowly large walls made of ice rose and trumpets could be heard, knights and gunmen gathered and began to rain down support holding the demonic armies off, helping the frozen skeletons to regroup.

"Their loosing." Cathy's mother said, suddenly the world changed back to the entrance of their house.

"Mam I offer you a chance to become a dancer, Cathy however, I see I missed judged you, you have failed." Menace said as she began to vanish.

"Mam, this offer doesn't have to be accepted while you live, so grow old and live a long life, then you can answer." Menace said as she completely disappeared.

Cathy just stood there not knowing what to do.


	12. Chapter 12

The day passed quietly this time Cathy had not time to enjoy the festival, it was now slowing down in a few days, the festival would leave and all of this would be nothing more than a memory. She made the dough and prepared the meal for her father, her mother fed the little ones who did their ideal thing.

It was a quiet day, that night her father returned and told the story about how they had ran into an undead that nearly killed one of the workers, he had conveniently left out he had been working with a blue-skinned woman, but for the most part, Cathy didn't put much thought into it. She already knew what had happened after all.

That night Cathy drempt, she stood in front of a large river they seemed to grow with every passing second, from the river a woman came out, she was beautiful, the woman took Cathy's hand and held her gently the two kissed and Cathy soon found herself melting in the woman's embrace.

However, as Cathy closed her eyes and opened them, she found that the beautiful woman was replaced by a disfigured creature, Cathy felt something shoved inside her and her screamed.

 **"You won't die, nor will I turn you...what point would I have to do so?"** it said as it let her go.

Rhe monster walked seductively around her and Cathy saw hundreds of people all tied by various chains, threads, leather and other objects.

 **"To kill you would mean less fun. To torture, you would be pointless... Sex, love, pain, joy, I offer it all to you all that you have to do is have fun."** the creature said as gold coins fell all around it like rain, gems of all kinds littered the floors and food that would only ever meet a king's lips was placed in front of Cathy.

 **"There is no mutation in me, I will make you beautiful, men will want you, women will desire you. You can and will bed whoever you want all that you have to do is say yes."** the creature's voice sounded like a serpent as it spoke.

Cathy was about to say something when she remembered why had happened so long ago for her. The day she got onboard the carriage and saw what the people of Yar did, how she turned and abandoned everyone in it. How she vowed to never fall for something like that again.

 **"Look at you all grown up and free. Tell me do you wonder what became of them, what happened to the people you abandoned."** the creature's voice became hollow and now seemed to come from every direction.

 **"One word from you and the adventurers would have saved them, but you never spoke of what you did. Now they are all dead and it'sall your fault."** the creature said.

Cathy was about to scream that it was lying that what the creature said was nothing but half-truths, but try as she might she found herself in able to.

The creature beard Cathy and kissed her again, Cathy felt something hot cover her arms and feet as she turned to look at what it was she found that what was holding her had been removed but her arms and legs we now covered in.

" **I'll take away your guilt your pain, all you have to do is say yes."**

Cathy felt herself speak almost automatically and said "Yes."

 **"Payment for my service, I want children to be born, to spread into the world and bring more to me."**

 **"Why bother tempting those that are good and bring forth their gods and their armies upon us. So why not gather all that are lost and bring them here..."**

 **"...But I want children to be born both here and in the mortal realm, if the mortals have more children I get the bad ones and they will give birth to mine,"** it said as it began to tower over Cathy.

The entire night Cathy screamed in pain until she could no longer recall what a life with ought it was and began to feel good, so good in fact she wanted more people to have this looked at her arms and legs, she noticed how her children grew, the would soon hatch and begin to spread into the world.

The only thing Cathy could think about was how this all felt so good.

Cathy woke the sound of her mother's voice and noticed that for the life of her she couldn't remember what she had dreamt about, all she knew was that she was happy and she felt good.

As she headed out for the day, she noticed Menace standing on the other side of the street ng at her, her eyes were now hardened like if she was looking at something that she knew shouldn't exist.

(Menace)

She watched the girl walk it was almost painful to see her do so, but she had made her choice, there was nothing she could do for her now.

She could see each egg growing in her soul, soon one by one they would hatch and cover what was left of the still human girl until nothing was left.

She shifted into the stream of energy that touched the warp and stood before the creature, the daemon that wanted to be a god, they both looked at each other and smiled, sometimes she would manage to bring someone into the light away from their own downfall, sometimes the creature would win.

It all depended on the person's will to change for the better.

Menace could feel the sleeping one move, he was looking for a anything he could use to save the girl.

A god born from memories, yet even he with his vast archive of life stories he could barely find much of anything, the girl was extremely selfish, yet try as it might that was nothing. The girl was too far gone to hear reason and there was nothing she cared about to bring her back with, even her family were little more then people she lived with.

Menace simply closed her eyes and vanished from that hellish place, there was nothing she could save, perhaps if he had acted faster then maybe, just maybe... Still, there were more people hanging from their chains and she needed to get to them before that creature graves ahold of them and added their souls to its breading chambers.


	13. Chapter 13

Menace drifted in the stream of memories, as she travels from realm to realm, sometimes she would catch a flips of someones past life or she would find someone that was lost and guide them to their resting place.

Souls that wanted a mother chance became reborn, those that had made peace moved on to their resting place and those that wanted a second chance but didn't have the will needed to maintain their forms, were thrown into other realms to live new lives away from the world they once knew.

Then there was the last bunch, people that weren't good but certainly weren't evil, either they had been tainted by foul magic, the mad god's insanity had gotten to them or they simply had been unlucky to bee needed to fill out the ranks became unborn. Nether reborn nor undead.

She found herself on a battlefield where the forces of the Blood God fought the Unborn, it was there in the center of it all that she began to dance, her dance of death.

The world froze around her feet, as she danced the song of the eye of the beholder calling to her the souls of the dead and the dying carrying them away into the stream of memories, sometimes a bolt of lightning would show up and drag the greatest of warriors away. Sigmar having recruited the person as one of his soldiers, more often than not however that never happened.

The souls saw their loved ones passing eternity in a paradise and were drawn to it, as she danced the unborn fought of any would-be attacker that would so much as try to prevent her from completing her dance.

The hollowed song was one that made the unborn prize in mass even after they had detonated and frozen the enemies in front of them, they could rise like this only a hand full of times before they other gave up and chose to move on or they proved themselves and became reborn.

The stream of memories carried her away and she found herself in a city where a plague had taken hold, she danced the song of tears that cleansed the soul alongside the body, before she danced the song of rage. Tears may help relieve emotionally inflicted pains, alongside those of the body and soul, but a person needed to act in order for the relief to maintain itself and they not fall once again into depression.

All around her healers ran as if dancing to her rhythm, even as the people around her died and were carried off, they worked their hardest to keep others alive.

Menace danced as ice began to form around the sick before forcing flesh worms out of the sick bodies of the people. Her dance carried her through the city, until she stopped in front of a woman who had her eyes covered, the woman was starting a fire before she turned to look in her direction.

The two stared at each other, yet neither said anything, again the stream of memories carried her away and Menace found herself in a place she would have never thought of possible. She stood in a hospital where several women were giving birth, this time, however, she did not dace, nor did she move.

She only watched as new life was brought into the world, the infant looked at her, then it looked at his mother. Menace heard the infant speak to his mother, in the most innocent of languages, that no mortal could ever understand.

Menace began to walk before the world change and she found herself once again dragged into the lair of the beast, she stood before a young ma that simply wanted to be good at something anything. His entire life he had been told how worthless he was and how useless he was.

She spoke no words of honey, but words of relief and showed the young man everything he had done for the people around him, slowly the leather straps broke as the young man began to cry.

The tears weren't the same as those that a person sheds in the mortal realm, instead, the ones he shed were those of the soul, the young man fell gently into the stream of memories below and he as carried of away from this hellish place.

Menace turned and found the creature looking at her, it wasn't a kind look, nor was it one with any resentment, no the demon simply acknowledged her existence, before turning back to its chambers, soon the screams of the lost echoed once again.

[Cathy]

It had been a wonderful day, she had woken up with more energy than ever before and proof of it was how she had done all of the housework in record time. Her little ones were up and about, helping the neighbors and her mother had gone off to take lunch to her father.

Outside the window, she saw a merchant she had her eyes on a few days earlier and called out to him, the man walked up to her and as he looked into her eyes he became captivated with her.

Cathy took his hand and led him to her room, they had a few hours, after all, she had made sure he knew it was a one-time thing and the two enjoyed themselves.

The next day she walked up to one of the town's merchants and bought a dress that she would normally never be able to afford. The merchant's wife would have normally protested against selling such a luxurious item, but when she looked at Cathy she immediately agreed.

However, the woman even went as far as to give Cathy some undergarments, that barely covered anything at all, she even offered Cathy a chance to try them on in her house. That day the small store closed early and Cathy learned how a wife and a husband make love with another woman at their side.

Menace watched this from a distance, she had hoped that maybe the girl could fight of the influence, but she seemed content with what she now was. A succubus that would soon give birth to many unholy children.


	14. Chapter 14

Several days passed and for whatever reason, she couldn't quite understand Cathy was having the best days of her entire life, granted she would most likely never we'd, considering people were now talking about her sexcapades or they talked about h3r newly acquired clothing, even her mother barely looked at had anymore...not that she would have cared, even if the woman did look at her once...

Cathy could feel her eggs move inside her arms and legs and she savored the pain they gave her, she savored the tears they brought from her eyes and as those same tears rolled inter her mouth, leaving behind the flavor of salt water both on her tongue and on her lips, Cathy felt her lips tug and form a seductive smile.

The last stalls from the festival were going to leave today, she was about to go see them off alongside her new love, for 5he day when she saw something she honestly would have never thought of ever approaching before. The knight captain alongside several of his men had arrived and by the looks of it none of them were happy.

She was about her love behind when a light moved across the sky at an unheard of speed, the light touched every pillar at once, before vanishing like it had never been there to begin with.

Still from the looks of things whatever it was didn't matter and Cathy realized that as she looked at the direction the knight captain had been in, that the man was now gone. She had hoped to get him alone or perhaps have her way with all of his men at once.

Cathy felt her love take her by the hand and guide her towards a shop that knew what she did when she had free time, the owner didn't care that she used the back room, as long as she paid for its use. As they embraced each other Cathy found herself back at her Goddesses side and her love along with them, yet this time something was wrong...

Cathy looked around her and she felt her heart begging to speed up, she realized what had happened and remembered everything she had done, she remembered the cloths, the jewelry them men had given her and she remembered her children, that now rejected her presence and stuck close to her mother.

Yet despite all of this she couldn't bring herself to care, she had found where she belonged and enjoyed every moment of it. Cathy was about to walk up to where the goddess and her love were enjoying themselves when she heard her own voice speaking to her.

What that voice said was meaningless now and Cathy heard the sound of her eggs begin to hatch.

(Menace)

Menace found herself standing in front of her husband she was nearly naked, but chose to wear a long dress that slowed the wind to flow thru, it was neatly transparent but it was ideal for the towns. She placed her hands around her husband's neck and gently kissed it, the man smiled at this.

Menace swallowed as she began to whisper. "You're going to have to kill her.". " Go to the shop at the end of the red street where the bookstore is, you will find it, them there."

Naotsugu rose to his feet and began his daily walk, Menace took his hand and guided him thru the streets, past the people all the while she whispered the same words over and over again.

It was only when a foul odor caught their attention that Naotsugu walked towards the dead girl's direction. The eggs had hatched and her children were now eating her dead corps, the succubus however still lived, her human flesh was the only thing containing her, now it was gone.

Whatever happened to the man she was with no one will probably ever know, a blast of yellow light shooting of into the sky and eight different souls carried of, informed her of everything she needed to know.

Cathy was now dead ad her children had died along with her.

Menace felt her self-begin to move and she danced she began to carry the waters and the ice with her, as she danced she created a path that guided tot waters towards the location where the last pillar was to be built and she began to fill out the empty spot from the wagers of the town.

Menace danced all day until the night finally came, it was only then that she heard the screams of pain from Cathy's mother, who finally learned of her daughter's fate.

[Speech change Allure]

No one dared to say anything as the elders moved back and forth trying and failing to find any way of moving deeper into the lost lands beyond. Back and forth they went until the distant voice of the unborn echoed.

"We cannot continue. If we move any further we risk losing any village we have recovered."

"Elders, we need to secure any real gate we find and build the defenses around them and the towns/villages themselves." The unborn said in a perfect unity.

Yet the elders moved back and forth, back and forth and failing to find anything, it was only when they exhausted all other possibilities that they agreed to stop any recovery efforts. It was time to fortify the defenses.

[Speech change. The knight Captain]


	15. Chapter 15

The knight captain sat down waiting for the adventurers to arrive, in reality, it didn't matter what the adventurers wanted anymore. He should have sent out a messenger to the empire requesting additional reinforcements after everything he had found.

Yet he hadn't done just that for two reasons, the first is he wanted to give the adventurers a fair warning, the second was his sentimentality towards this place and its people.

Regardless his mean had been given a copy of the letter sacking for reinforcements, so even if they did kill him after this, help would still arrive.

Michael one of the adventurer's servants attended him and his men, providing drinks and food.

It didn't matter if the adventurers approved of his methods or not, but he needed an army that could match straight into hell and come out fighting.

So every criminal that couldn't be reformed would no longer be tortured or sent out to die by exposure, eaten by animals or killed by the undead.

No, now they would form a new Hell Forge Unit, he was creating. If the adventurers approved of this or not, no longer mattered for the only other option was killing these men and women, wasting a valuable resource.

His men along with the prisoners had continued to prove the strange energies that kept people away from the area where the pyramids are located and had found one particular path.

A prisoner had been sent in and the man returned half mad, he spoke as a maf man but none the less his men could make out what he was saying.

The sands were rebuilding stone cities, restoring pyramids whose number could not be counted and statues that towered above even some of the pyramids were being built.

He didn't like it, but they had to inspect the surrounding area. They had to make sure that whatever was going on hadn't spread to any other area near the town.

Do for a day they walked and discovered that because of the influence of the water along with the mists being carried by the winds, plant were no longer forced to rapidly grow at night.

They had discovered an underground forest that was only visible because the top of the trees were sticking out of the ground.

Runic markings were caved into the lands themselves, the same marked made any undead frees when they came in contact with it.

They had found an area where a single drop of water fell, every hour and found that both the waters and the ice in that area, was for the lack of any other word. Pure.

It was like both the waters and the ice didn't hold the memories of the waters an ad the ice everyone had been so use to seeing. This was obviously a holy place as the amount of power collected in it was enormous.

The had followed the moving beast/mountains and found that they had already covered half the area around the town.

When they arrived at the location where the main pillar that provided water for the river, they had discovered a new town built around it.

It was so rounded by ice walls that had been reinforced by stone and dirt and had several roles of unborn guarding it.

They would have attacked had they not seen several people come and go, walking past the roles of frozen skeletons, that simply stood watching for any signs of trouble.

The reborn walked openly amongst the people there, unlike in jewel because it was either too hot or the town was too crowded.

He was about to walk into the town when one of his men asked to go and see where all of the people were going. The importance of the military was further hammered in, as they had discovered several realm gates.

Prisoners and scouts were sent in and all came back with the same words, there were unborn on the other side and if they weren't fighting, they were fortifying their defenses or rebuilding towns and villages.

A few were guiding refuges towards the relegates, jewel would soon get another population boom.

He was here to petition the completion of the last pillar and hope that its magic could stop whatever was coming.

Everything made to much sense, the towns, the pillars, the newly created army's and even the reborn, something was coming and the adventurers had been setting up the defenses from day one.

He knight captain just hoped that the adventurers would listen to him.


	16. Chapter 16

He sat there comfortably and he listened to the sounds seemed to resonate with the house of the horizon, each footstep a servant gave within the house seemed to add to its mystery and life.

The smells of various foods from both the shops and peoples homes lingered in the air and as he took in a deep breath the cold air mixed with it all, it felt like if somehow he had taken a bite out of a warm meal and drunk it down with a cold drink.

How felt his mind begging to wonder as he sat there waiting and he began to wonder what exactly could be going on. For a brief moment, he felt the hairs on his hands begin to stand, but he just dismissed that as an aspect of the house itself, being the home of an Adventurers guild the house itself must have had some oddities here and there.

He felt his mind begin to wonder again and he thought about a dark dead land devoid of any hope whatsoever. Yet there was life there, latches of life that grew plentiful and brightly.

The knight captain smiled at the thought of people somehow managing to build their own kingdoms in such a place, a testament to humanities sheer stubbornness. He imagined vast armies capable of fighting of even the mightiest of legions.

Yet he also saw something that made him be filled with rage, undead rolling over the living, using them as food, or simply working them to death and when they did die, the undead be they vampire or something else, would cast their unfortunate victims away.

One side had joined hands with the dead and learned from its predecessors, the other simply vowed the living as dispose tools, that never had any worth to begin with.

He saw a vast land where even the rocks seemed to have been drained of any vitality and creatures that would have at one point seemed majestic in nature, now walked flew and crawled with none of their original selves present save their ferosety. Their bodies now gelatinous corpses mage of aging bones and rotten flesh.

His mmind drifted to a place where several armies met in battle all headed towards the same solace, a grand citadel where an upside-down pyramid flew in the sky, alongside it several smaller pyramids, all made of a black stone that seemed to ear any light that came near it.

He saw an army of Stormcast Eternals, slam into the citadel striking at its protective walls, that is until and army of the blood gods warriors laid eyes upon them and the two armies began to fight one another, only when both armies were exhausted, only then did the legions of the dead strike.

All seemed lost until an explosion of water setting loose several green skins lose that threw themselves at the walls of the citadel bringing them down before beginning their battle lust upon everything within the citadel.

Skeletons walked the lands beneath the seas and rivers, however, few there where, as the recently dead floated on the waters above all seeking any signs of life that belong to those that dwell beneath the waves. However, they would only find the abandoned homes of those they sought after.

Disembodied souls fought against mages that brought down the full might of the elements upon them, the souls may not have had bodies but that didn't mean they couldn't be destroyed.

Armies of the rotting dead fought against orgers, who simply enjoyed biting of the heads of the undead horde, the dead couldn't bite if they didn't have mouths or heads that were still intact.

Deseas covered daemons and their slaves forced their gifts on to the dead, who in turn ignored any of it until their bloated bodies could no longer move as so many infections had rendered their forms useless.

The knight captain felt his heartbeat nearly stoop as a massive structure lifted itself into the sky and placed itself into the greatest of the upside down black pyramids.

He watched as several Skaven jumped into it and somehow managed to enter the greatest of the black pyramids.

He felt the hairs on his body begin to stand as a loud explosion made him run towards the doors down the hallway and out the front door to see what was going on.


	17. Chapter 17

The moment he exited the building did he realize whatever was going to happen, was now happening, he was to late. Lightneenbolts fell from the sky destroying many of the town's buildings and all of the people now fled, their eyes displaying their terror.

A large vortex opened in the sky as it began to draw the town into it, however, the pillars energies created a net that kept both the town itself as well as the people safe from the vortexes pull, the many runs now flowers with such intensity that they threatened to blind him.

The knight captain felt the hairs on his arms begin to lift themselves up and he saw a light coming directly towards him.

In an instant, the knight captain found himself standing in front of several unborn, all prepared to do battle.

"Today we reclaim our city! Today we get our revenge!" Said a reborn, as several skeletal figures broke out of the many books if ice that held them. His words came as what could only be called a moving wave of corpses headed towards them.

The unborn eyes began to glow as he froze his rounding. "Fools, you may use the Shades Glass, but I created it and know its secrets." The unborn said as he lifted the black glass that littered the city and used it to pierced the incoming wave of skeletons and in a single move froze the entire skeletal hoard, before shattering it in an instant.

The knight captain blinked and he found himself underwater as many unborn battled the giants of the deep, even as both the beast ate them hole. Unfortunately for the undead giants, that only helped the unborn as they froze the undead from within.

The knight captain blinked again and he found himself standing in jewel, no he was frozen in place, he had been struck by lightning. "Was he dead? No, he wasn't he had just been rendered unconscious, he knew this because the ice around him was breaking with every attempt he made just to move.

When he finally broke free from his ice prison, he found himself being yelled at by a goblin. " Hurry you fool!" The creature screamed as it carried a bag filled with ice.

When he looked in the direction the goblins were running at, the knight captain saw a woman dancing, yet behind he could have sworn he had seen the mountains run past her, no he was certain he had heard them run desperately, as they attempted to complete their seal, the land shaking as their massive bodies broke the grounds beneath them.

The knight captain ran fully prepared to die attempting to stop whatever evil was about to occur only to find himself staring at the townspeople, along with the reborn and several creatures he had never seen before throwing bags filled with ice and buckets filled with water, as the largest gathering of mages and Adventurers he had ever seen desperately attempted to complete the last pillar.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the Slan had been watching everything and as the moment the final pillar was completed did it make its move.

It was a risk but one that if done correctly and precisely would change the mortal realms forever, so as within the realm of the dead the black pyramid spun drawing away the dead from whatever afterlife they would have normally gone to.

The souls of the people found themselves presented with a stream of memories that they would attempt to reach before the power of death fully swept them away.

So great was the number of souls and so many were the dead and the dying that Ur Slaanesh attempted to consume the sleeping God of memories, as the energies of infants that needed to born and the pains of the collective souls empowers it to such extent, that Ur Slaanesh now rivaled a minor chaos god.

Unfortunanlty for Ur Slaanesh emotions themselves were embedded in memories and the sleeping god awakens prematurely and with a gesture, compatible with someone simply opening a book, the god of memories forced the powers of order I to Ur Slaanesh splitting it in two.

She became the mature elder and the wild youth, two sisters that influenced the mortals.

As the Slans plan finally came into fruition the pillars built in the dark realm by the reborn interfered with it's plan and instead if what he wanted something entirely different occurred. As with the realm of the dead, for hundreds of thousands of miles countless beings felt their souls stripped from them.

A stream of starlight fell from the sky as an event that could only be called a heroes summoning occurred and the adventurers found themselves teleported into the realm of the dead, along with the mountain that held the portal into their realm.

 **Warhammer Log horizon. Everyone vs Nagash.**

 **/**

 **(Thank you for reading it was fun writing this I hope you all enjoyed it.)**


	18. Chapter 18 The War over Death

**For those that are reading this please look at the other tie ins to this story.()(())())()()()()()()()()()**

The final peace was set and the black pyramid had truly taken form, it had been a plan centuries in the making, but now it was complete.

Soon there would only be Nagash, the gods of chaos were to stuck in their ways to truly pose any threat, Nurgle was more concerned with sowing life in realms, who's very nature rejected it. Khrorne was more concerned with meaningless fighting and his minions could be distracted by waves upon waves of useless cannonfater.

The Lord of change had been unnusaly quiet and had stayed away, promoting Nagash to set up several safety just in case.

The pantheon if order was no different, soon they would submit or be destroyed. Sigma for all his glory, still thought in the same way as a warrier. The Elven deities were more concerned about their own affairs to really pose any threat.

The only true opposition was Gorkamorka, but the gods lack of self control made it easely destracted.

The winds of magic stopped, something was wrong, something had enterfeered with his creation. Several pillars of ice rose from beneath the realm, as if they had heard his creations call and rose to challenge it.

Not only that but the presence of the Skaven was all to clear, there was life inside his pyramid, whatever the rats had done, had altered his creation dramatecly.

Nagash was about to launch an attack at the pillars of ice, when the vision of of multiple pillars, scattered about the mortal realm reached him. It was too late, the pillars had no intention of stopping his creation, no instead they were using it, to increase their influence.

The black pyramid began to spin, there was no stopping it now, after this the mortal realms would be changed forever.

The black pyramid, span faster and faster before it drove itself into the core of the realm of death, in that same instant, the pillars of ice spread their power, covering the mortal realms.

In an instant the dead rose in their millions, but they were not alone, those with unlife awoke to defend the living.

Nagash was about to roar in rage, when a tear in the sky made him look up, this was different.

[][]]]]][][[]

The howling voices of the dead echoed through the mortal realms, as the uncontrollable energies of man, starlight, soulfire and souls ice mixed, attempting to overpower one another.

The mortal realms screamed in union as the dead rose in countless numbers, however, whether this was from the soul's ice that had been gifted from the adventurers to the mortals, or from the dark power of Nagash few would ever truly know.

So great was the catastrophe that even the realms of chaos that believed themselves untouchable were assaulted, both from withought and within, by wave after wave of vengeful dead.

Yet small villages and towns whose people would have normally have been easy pickings for the dammed, found themselves under the protective shadows of those that at one point had died, the soul's ice gifting them unlife.

Yet in all of this the mortal realms screamed as they were changed forever, the Slann had interfered with the creation of the pyramid of the dead, by using a combination of the adventurer's souls ice and their own star energies, never truly understanding the consequences of their actions.

Few beings could ever have, regardless of their power and so an event that has not happened in generations happened, the various adventurers were ripped from their worlds, as their souls were forced out of their bodies.

However, unlike all other beings, the adventurers had no way of having their souls tainted and so they were simply transported to another realm, one not too distant from their own, after all the realm gates connect every realm to each other.

[][][]][]{}{}{}{}{}{\\\\\\\\\\[][][[][{}}{}{}{}{}}{} **()()()()()()(([]][][][][[[[][[][[[[{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}**

A woman walked down a dark road her only companion was a knight in black armor that nearly made him impossible to see in the darkness of their surroundings, the cool night was long and neither of them had seen any signs of life, only the bones of the dead, or the rotting corpses of this that should stay dead.

The sky was still twisting as the various energies clashed with one another, all of a sudden the corrupted energies of the warp attempted to size control, only for the powers of order to force it back, then the cold unfeeling energies of the dead pushed in, but while energies of destruction forced it back.

In an instant, the light of the adventurers rained over the various energies before shattering like glass, this pattern continued over and over again and only repeated itself verso often, then all of a sudden the how's of the dead stopped.

The natural light of the moon, even the light of their torches that they used to guide them vanished along with the energies in the sky and with an explosion so devastating that it brought the man and the woman to their knees the energies in the sky vanished raining down whatever they held within them.

A low bump was the only thing that the two heard and as they looked up that it was, the only thing visible was the bodies of a woman, neither of the two said any words, they could feel the woman was still alive, her soul was fully intact.

The fall had obviously knocked her out and who knew if she would live, it was only a kind of them to kill her, as the walked up to the fallen woman, the knight drew his sword, while his companion liked her lips, after all, it was fresh meat, with warm blood flowing thru it.

In an instant, the fallen woman vanished and bit down upon the knight's neck, killing him instantly, her bite was placed so perfectly that he was unable to scream, long before his body fell, his form let out a light glow before vanishing, nothing remained, body and soul, completely consumed by the woman.

As his companion attempted to take flight and warm the vampire lords, she found a glowing hand piercing her thru her stomach and the angelic figure of a woman stood over her smiling, her golden smiling face slowly took her to the strange woman.

The woman screamed as the vampire woman ate her, however, she took a slow pace to savor her flavor, unlike the man that had been forced into servitude and be fed for death, the vampire woman deserved no mercy whatsoever.

With each bite revealed generations of hellish torments done to the mortals that dwell in their realm and it was all done for the simple act of feeling superior to those that were alive.

"How does it feel to be in their place?Roe2 asked the vampire woman, who just looked at her fearfully. She had already eaten, her mouth, arms legs stomach and midsection, only the woman's head partially remained.

Roe2 smiled as she looked at the woman's pride finally shatter, Roe2 smiled " Repenting only works for Sigmar, not with us." She whispered to the woman before she completely devoted what was left of her.

"Now where are we?" Roe2 said as she looked around.

"Well that's not good, Warhammer a third generation realm, the Old Ones aren't going to like the fact we are here." She explained knowing that her superiors wouldn't accept any form of excuses.

"Well, while I'm here might as well have some fun." Roe2 said as she looked at the residue of the Adventurers and Players that had been brought into this realm, soon a war the likes few had ever seen would begin.

The siege of the RatGods domain by the Aincrad players and the dead from the realm of Dark Souls, just proved how much the chaos people underestimated the people they were up against, she smiled it was time, they should all be waking up now.

The lord of death wanted to rule over, all of the dead, unfortunately, he had done something he shouldn't have, he or perhaps someone had tapped into the power of respawning, causing the beings of the Warhammer universe to be able to be born somewhere else away from all of the madness in it.

Granted not everyone would be up for this option, but detailed details and who cared about those.

She explained and noticed her breath had begun to freeze, the unborn were beginning to take root in this realm, soon only those whose time had come or warriors who had died in battle would remain, alongside those the undead had already claimed and those taken from chaos.

"Well no use worrying about things now, time to have some fun, where is that vampire kingdom?" Roe2 asked herself as she searched thru her victim's memories. She smiled as she finally knew where to go and discovered the locations of the defenses, the slaves and all of their beasts.

Roe2 liked her lips, none of them would escape, they had no right to. She began to chant and summon her minions, whether they were battle beasts or some of her victims didn't matter, they were meant to destroy captured and kill anyone that got out of hand.

She turned to the sky and noticed a grinning skull looking down at her, Roe2 smiled. "Don't worry about me, you have them to worry about." She said as she began to walk towards her destination.

[][][][][]

(Location change)

The ground broke beneath their feet, something had pulled them from their mansion and dropped them off in this dead world.

For the Soul Takers, this had become a common thing, being wrapped up in something, they didn't want to be anywhere near of.

The air was stale here, they had originally thought that they had been transported to the world of ash, the world where people burn Humanity and the dead walk amongst the living, or perhaps the world of behind the mirror, where strange magic stones powered by the dead are scattered about and hellish creatures roam freely.

Yet this place didn't seem like any one of those worlds, granted no one had explored either world entirely, so it could be that they had arrived in an unknown location.

Meaning that they were lost and had to rely on themselves to survive.

A permanent full moon hung in the sky, their help screens showed that it was six o'clock and the was high in the sky, it could be that this worlds hours were different, but somehow that didn't seem likely.

The moon was too full and shun a little too brightly, like if it was replacing the suns light, hell on occasions it even felt warm.

Rick bent down for a moment and liked up a fist full of dirt. "The lands dead, a person can plant a seed almost everywhere and that seed will grow, but this place there isn't any life" he said before turning to his friends.

"We've been to worlds where the dead walk and even in those the ground was capable of supporting life. Something evil lives here and if it's not evil, it doesn't like the living." Rick said before a single cut his head of.

Instantly the rest of the soul takers drew their weapons, but thousands of skeletal hands suddenly pulled them dom on to the ground and tore them peace by peace, until the Soul takers were no more.

Their attacker looked at his work, nothing was left, the only remain of the players/adventurers ever being there, was a large red stain on the ground, yet something was wrong, like if something was moving beneath the surface.

All of a sudden a human hand busted out of the ground. "So the dead walk in this world" Raff said as he pulled himself out of the ground, he crushed several skeletons even as he lifted himself into the surface.

The human knight slowly took notice of his enemy and his enemy did the same taking a good look the human that had somehow survived.

Slowly chains began to lift themselves out of the ground.

"We've run into your kind before, specter" Rick said as the chains lifted several skeletons from the ground.

"Should we start interpreting?" said Saito, as bones around him melted, as if acid was quickly resolving them.

"No, no, we won't be doing that. Revenge is what we do, in situations like this." Dante said as several spikes forced themselves into the undead specter, the better immediately let out a scream of inhuman pain.

"Do the deas do feel pain" Dante said, as the spikes forced the elected to be drawn closer and closer to him.

Yet as their captured target was about to reach them, when an inhuman howl echoed through their surroundings, soon the charging footsteps of the undead could be heard and Saito, quickly drew a teleportation crystal, teleporting them all away back to the safety of the flying castle.

Their prisoner could only watch completely in able to scream, as he was forced to leave his master's world. Somehow he knew that be would never return and if he did, he would not be the same.

[][][][]

(Location change)

Music echoed through the kingdom, even the celebrations continued, half-naked women danced alongside completely naked ones, be they human, elf, dwarf or whatever else didn't matter today was a day of celebration.

The discarded gods of death had finally returned, they had taken advantage of the unholy spell and had given the people a way to escape Nagash, an afterlife that could not be tainted by chaos, or stolen by the mad God of death.

Perfumes, fine wines, meats of all sorts were presented to the few demigods that had been found and their servants were given an equal treatment, be they made of ash, ice or steel.

With each death or was it rebirth, thousands of undead citizens found themselves lifted up into the sky, by starlight.

When a demigod of death or perhaps it was a discarded God of death, was killed using a combination of the strongest of all sorceries and simple blunt objects and in a brilliant show of starlight, the dead were finally set free, carried away to a peaceful, heavenly realm.

The various women giggled as they moved their hips, they were all anxious to have a gods child within their wombs and yet, it wasn't enough.

The process was too slow and the discarded gods had to be kept in perpetual isolation, multiple spells prevented their memories from fully returning, so the proses could continue and yet there were always more dead.

"They needed more demigods, if these gods were capable of doing this much in their weekend state, then why not have more." The people thought to themselves and so soldiers began to set it into the realms of death in search of more.

(Character change)


End file.
